


The Reckoning

by whatsyeroffer



Series: Album Fics [3]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Background Supercorp, F/F, Fight Club AU, Flirting and Pining, Human AU, lots of cussing, smut in later chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-14 02:04:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11773212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whatsyeroffer/pseuds/whatsyeroffer
Summary: Alex Danvers is an alcoholic doctor suffering in silence until she stumbles upon the Underground. Forced to compete, Alex discovers fighting is more therapeutic than she anticipated. Still, she knows General Astra is orchestrating more than extreme bar brawls.Or:The first rule of fight club? Don't talk about fight club.And the second rule of fight club? Probably don't fall in love with the General... It might just work out though.





	1. Sick Individual

**Author's Note:**

> Based on: Into the Wild Life by Halestorm
> 
> I listened to every song, except Dear Daughter, and loved all of them.
> 
> I spent a stupid amount of time on this, it's a doozy~
> 
> Also, important to note: I've only seen the movie Fight Club one (1) time. I just like the concept of fighting for no reason except raging :P

Alex's half-empty glass of scotch on the rocks hit the white marble countertop. Her hand stayed curled around the glass, nursing it, swirling the liquid and ice. She shifted forward on the cushioned barstool and her knees brushed dark wood; she lean her chest against the bar's counter as she propped up her chin in her other hand. Brown eyes scanned the room, flicking from patron to patron with disinterest.

They were all the same here in this annoyingly upscale bar. All the men wore perfectly fitted suits and spoke loudly, as though they wanted the whole bar to hear of their success or listen to them criticize a competitor. If they weren't holding a drink, they were holding a woman close. They stayed in groups, some by the tables, some on the other side of the bar, and then there was one rather obnoxious group of preppy grads that were partying in the VIP room. The room was abuzz with socialites rubbing elbows.

Her eyes kept falling on the bare shoulders and long legs of the women in the bar, who were dressed to kill. Alex was dressed far more casually than the elitist arm-candies in the room. Scrubs had been changed haphazardly to wadded jeans and a black blouse, comfortable and overtly indifferent to her plans for the evening. This bar hadn't been on her to-do list, but walking past the establishment she had fallen enough into her self-loathing to punish herself with an upper-class scene.

She was admiring one woman that wore a small black, backless dress. Alex could tell the woman was bored, given how many times she shifted slightly in those high heels. Her date seemed to pick up on her discomfort and put a huge hand on her back. The woman's skin seemed to crawl, her shoulders tensed. She threw a look over her shoulder and their eyes met before the woman returned her attention to the group.

Alex lifted her drink to her mouth and shook her head. She hoped she never became one of _those_ women. That's what kind of future her ex had wanted for her, for her to be nothing other than a woman on his arm. Her top lip curled up in disgust at the thought. He might've been another genius that she could connect to on an intellectual level, not to mention handsome and rich beyond all belief, but he was also a raging asshole to everyone excluding her. In most aspects, he would've been a perfect man to bring home to meet Mom.

She frowned and drank the rest of the scotch. She hated that word, _perfect_. In another universe, perhaps she could achieve the perfection she sought for herself, for her mother, for Kara… _But not in this one._

The bartender placed a shot in front of her. He nodded to the VIP room, "Those guys bought you some Jaeger."

She looked over her shoulder and one of the guys held up a glass in her direction. She glared, turned back to the bartender and she slammed back the shot before she ordered some more whiskey. The bartender poured her shot and took the empty glasses away, and then he set a plastic cup of water beside the shot.

Alex wanted to laugh. His concern or proactivity to keep her from getting a hangover grated her wrong. She didn't need anyone to look out for her. She sure as hell didn't appreciate being judged at a bar. But there she was, edging further and further away from sobriety.

 _Falling from grace, as always_. Which was a harsh criticism of herself.

Alex understood that she was pretty lucky in life, but it all felt so… overbearing. Maintaining that _perfection_ that her mother drilled into her, no demanded of her, since her childhood. And even when she _did_ her best, there was no recognition.

It didn't register with her mom that Alex was top of her class every _fucking_ year until she graduated. But it was expected, not even an accomplishment. What was Eliza supposed to do, celebrate what in her eyes could only be _mediocrity?_

She was a god damn MD with a PhD in bio-engineering and she was only 26. Alex had done it while clubbing and drinking her way through graduate school and the distraction hadn't even made the tiniest mark on her final grades. Yet the drinking was the only thing her mom could focus on… Because drinking wasn't _perfect._

She took the shot, grimacing slightly.

When she drank with other people at parties, alcohol made her fun. She could temporarily forget about assignments, she could throw hesitation out the window and grind on another chick, and she could drink until all her other responsibilities were effectively whited out from her mind.

Responsibilities like taking care of Kara- calling Kara to check up on her… Alex glanced at her watch and scoffed. It was too late now… Which meant she would get a call in the morning from her, chastising her for drinking… Or maybe not! Cause lately her sister had been so caught up in some secretive new boyfriend that she couldn't even bother to return Alex's phone calls or answer her texts.

Drinking alone just amplified her resentment.

Having to drink alone _at all_ was a slap in the face. She didn't have any friends, since working 50+ hours a week to pay for student loans sucked the life out of her. She didn't have a boyfriend because _ugh,_ she could barely stomach the word. She wasn't brave enough to step into the world of lesbian dating, so she was just _stuck._

Perhaps if she was one of these overdressed guys with a posh accent, she could already have a girlfriend… Then she wouldn't have to worry about coming out and ultimately disappointing her mother for not leading a normal life.

Circle back around to her hatred of the word _perfect._

But before she could order another drink, someone entering the bar caught her attention. To be fair, he was almost impossible to miss. A huge, hulking, beast of a man stomped through a cluster of businessmen. His buzz cut, leather jacket, and furious scowl convinced the patrons not to argue about his lack of politeness. He had deep scars, still pink against tan skin, across his cheek and forehead. Alex subtly sat up straighter as he passed, curious.

He crossed the room and turned just past the VIP room where a small hallway led to a guarded door. Alex hadn't really thought anything of it, probably just another party room. This guy didn't look the type though.

He greeted the bouncer, another muscled and heavily scarred man, with a handshake. Then they fluidly slammed into each other in a bro-hug; an immovable force met an unstoppable object. Alex could only imagine the damage they just did to each other. The bouncer pulled back and opened the door and together they went into the room.

Alex's curiosity got the best of her. She decided to go to the bathroom, since they were just down the hall from that room. She had imagined behind the door was where the higher ups went to snort cocaine, but her theory was proving to be way off. After washing her hands and patting them dry on her jeans, she exited and looked down the hallway.

The metal door seemed prophetic. She turned back towards the bar and a woman with metallic gray hair nodded at her. The woman was cute but had an unnerving air around her. Either from the slight electricity in her eyes or the way she strode forward like her body was a weapon. Alex couldn't help but freeze at the woman's smirk.

"Take a picture babe, it'll last longer." As she passed, the woman lightly pushed on Alex's shoulder.

Caught off-guard, Alex found herself falling back; her palms outstretched behind her hit the cold wall. The woman merely laughed haughtily and walked to the unguarded door, flung it open and disappeared.

Alex waited, leaned against the wall, for a second. Then two. She looked around the bar to make sure no one was watching her before she walked towards the mysterious door. It was as heavy as it looked, but it opened quietly. She was surprised to see it immediately led to a flight of stairs.

Alex looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was there and then she entered the dark stairwell, closing the door behind her. There was a single, dim light on the wall of each landing of the L-shaped staircase. Alone in the creepy situation, she was glad she hadn't drank too much. The buzz of the alcohol was wearing off as adrenaline kicked in. She could hear yelling, but not a fearful yelling that would make her turn on her heels and run back up to the bar.

It sounded like cheering?

She was envisioning scenario after scenario of what she would see. A gang meeting, an orgy, a mountain of cocaine…

Two stories down from the bar, she finally hit the last stair. She peeked around the corner of the archway at the bottom of the staircase and her breath caught in her throat.

In the middle of the large room was a raised section of the floor, a fighting ring. There were no ropes, no cage. Two men were currently beating the snot out of each other, blood flowing from both their faces and staining their white wrapped knuckles. The one guy, dressed in a loose red shirt and sweatpants, seemed to be losing. He was quick to strike but smaller, probably dazed too based on the blood on his temple. The other guy was shirtless, baring his bruised yet chiseled chest and arms, but his nose was broken. They were both panting hard, circling each other. Then simultaneously they both reached out for the other.

They thrashed, punches being thrown into stomachs. They yanked and tugged but finally the shirtless man got the upper-hand in their power struggle with a fist to Red's face. The man paused for a moment, but that's all shirtless guy needed before he caught his wrist, and slung Red, twisting him around until they were chest to back. The shirtless guy grunted as he shoved Red's hand up towards his neck and Red's shoulder disconnected with a sickening _pop._

There were a few whooping cheers from the small, rough looking crowd from where they stood around the ring. All eyes were on the fight above them.

Red was flung to the ground and shirtless guy was already waving his arms in the air victorious. Still, the crowd waited.

"Proclaim Vartox as winner!" He yelled in a strong Russian accent as he stood over Red's crumpled form. Red was holding his arm, panting hard. So Vartox knelt down and grabbed Red's head, tsked, and slammed it into the floor of the ring.

Alex gasped at the ruthlessness.

Just as Red weakly tapped out, most likely on the verge of fainting, Alex spotted the bouncer from earlier a little too late.

_Oh fuck._

The bouncer's gigantic hand wrapped around her forearm hard enough to make her wince. She was pulled into the room and nearly collided with the bouncer's chest. She looked up, taking in the scars that looked more intimidating up close, then met glaring brown eyes. Despite her terror; she was almost sure that the bouncer was a butch woman. _There's a time and place for such observations…_

"What are you doing down here?" Their voice was a rumble.

Alex swallowed and pulled against the grip, she stammered, "I- uh, I was just leaving." She didn't have a chance in hell against fighting the bouncer, even though instinct told her to try to break their nose and run. Clearly they were involved in whatever underground fighting show was going on, so she probably couldn't even leave a mark on them…And she really didn't want to be on the receiving end of their punches. She felt her heart race as their grip tightened, sharpened nails dug into her skin.

"I don't know your face," Their eyes narrowed as if studying her, searching for any memory of having seen her before.

Alex yanked more fervently against the hand, "If you just let me go-"

"What have we here? Fresh meat?"

_God fuckin' dammit._

A man stopped beside the bouncer, scowling. His short hair and lean frame made Alex think he was in the military. The red of his button-up shirt was striking against the solid black of his suit. He had a pretentious air around him and Alex immediately disliked him. He looked her up and down and scoffed. "She's hardly a contender."

Alex bit back a huff. Now she wasn't even good enough to join some stupid _fight club_ or unregulated MMA division or whatever the hell they were running down here? Not that she wanted to. She tried to peel away the bouncer's fingers from her arm, but they held tight. This time their nails clawed slightly in warning.

"I didn't pick this one, Lieutenant."

He growled, "Well, she's seen too much."

She felt her heart skip a beat. _Great, just fuckin' great. Now they gotta kill me or something._ "Hey, I didn't see anything so-"

His glare silenced her. "Since you clearly cannot fight, what if I had you run a couple… errands…"

Alex _really_ didn't want to be a part of anything going on. "Uh, um. No thanks? I really should just leave."

"That's not how this works." He hissed out.

He lunged forward and Alex tensed, bracing herself. Then there was a hand on his shoulder, clutching the fabric of his suit. He straightened, standing at attention with his hands linked behind him. Alex's struggle against the bouncer's hold stopped completely.

An impossibly beautiful woman stepped between him and the bouncer. Alex's mouth actually fell open. She wore a black suit, identical to the man's, but her undershirt was dark green. The suit looked much more refined on her absolutely thin body. Her long, flawlessly curly hair fell past sharp shoulders and framing her face there was an odd streak of white.

"Non, go attend to Vartox. He wants his payment." Her voice was sharp and clear, giving him no room to argue. The blond man nodded once and then stormed away.

Alex snapped her jaw close when the woman's grey eyes met hers. Instead of the bored expression she had with Non, she gave Alex a coy grin. Alex's palms felt sweaty under that look.

"My name is General Astra," She reached out, ignoring Alex's flinch, and tucked her short hair behind her ear. Alex wanted to turn her head, but found herself frozen in the spot. Astra's fingertips slowly dragged down the shell of her ear, over her many piercings, and traced her jawline. The hand dropped to rest on her chest, Astra tapped two fingers against her collarbone. "And what is your name?"

Alex had enough sense to keep quiet. Astra was clearly the one in charge around here.

The woman rolled her eyes at Alex's silence. She stepped forward, breasts pressing into Alex's arm, and fished into Alex's back pocket. Alex sucked in a breath at the contact and fought against the hold on her arm once again. She repressed a shiver as Astra slid her hand across her ass to check the other pocket.

She pulled back and hummed as she opened Alex's wallet. She found her ID and read, "Alexandra Danvers." She studied the card for a moment and looked up, her eyes squinting slightly in amusement. "You look stunning with long hair, but I prefer it short. It suits you."

Alex blushed slightly. Astra tucked the ID card back into her wallet and she slid the wallet back into Alex's pocket.

"What you have stumbled upon, Alexandra, is a _club_ of sorts." Astra explained, "You have broken one of our rules by inviting yourself in and that is not acceptable."

Alex swallowed back her fear. She kept her voice even as she asked. "What do you want? Money?"

"No, I make all the money I could ever need." Her toothy, knowing grin sent Alex's heartrate skyrocketing. "Here in the Underground we require a show of skills. Most new recruits fight for their admittance… "

Alex shook her head, "I'm not interested in joining whatever it is you're running."

"You waived your consent when you trespassed." Astra said offhandedly. Still, her eyes danced with mirth. "What you choose to do after you fulfil your debt is entirely up to you, but tonight I need your blood."

_Oh shit._

Alex's eyes flicked between Astra's as she panicked. She either had to fight or be at the mercy of this crazy bloodthirsty gang? Sure, she went to the gym to do cardio but _fighting?_ The way Astra had worded the demand though- it sounded like even if she only fought once, it would be enough for them. _Shit,_ did she have to fight to the death for her first match? _Fuck, fuck, fuck._

Alex didn't know anything about fighting, except from the mandatory self-defense classes in college that she hadn't taken seriously. She had never even watched a MMA or UFC match in her life! The way Vartox and Red had fought, all speed and ferocity… It was both brutal and awesome. Alex had never been interested in any kind of contact sport, but she had to admit their skills were impressive to watch. There was absolutely no way in hell she was on that level though! Could she even throw a punch? Could she _dodge_ a punch?

But something about the way Astra was looking at her fueled some kind of need to prove herself. Her cool grey eyes were piercing into her, watching the gears in her head turn.

"You are brave," Astra announced, as though seeing into the future. The compliment jarred her. What did she know about how brave Alex was? Here she was practically cowering under her stare, yet in her eyes she was brave?

Alex swallowed and set her resolve. _Time to prove her right._ "Fine." she said through gritted teeth. "I'll play your fucked up game."

Astra grinned, "Very brave indeed." She didn't even break eye contact when she said to the bouncer, "Barbara, release her."

The General still looked half ready to pounce when Barbara's hand, _good fucking god she should cut those nails,_ finally released her arm. Alex's hand immediately went to soothe the forming bruise on her forearm. The raised skin from Barbara's talons threatened to bleed. But Alex didn't run up the stairs, she didn't try to knock out either woman, she just glared back defiantly.

"This way, Alexandra." And maybe Alex would've gladly followed Astra anywhere when she used such a soft voice. But right now, in the midst of some surreal situation, crippling nervousness, and the bad feeling in her gut… Alex found herself preparing for the worst, trailing back away from Astra.

There wasn't a lot to the Underground. The raised fighting ring sat in the very middle of the room. Bare, concrete walls stretched two stories up around them. There was an impressively stocked bar on one side of the room by the stairs.

Then directly across was a small room facing the ring, half the wall was a window and the room lacked a door. There were several hospital beds and medical supplies were neatly organized on the far wall's countertop. The second story of the room had dark tinted windows that prevented Alex from looking in. A flight of stairs sat just outside the First Aid room and at the top there was another heavy door that led into the mysteriously dark room.

Astra led her into the room filled with medical supplies; the harsh smell of alcohol reminded her of the hospital. The walls and floors were white, making it feel sterile. Alex awkwardly stood in the archway of the room when Astra went to rummage in a cabinet. She threw a glance over her shoulder to look back at the Underground. It felt inescapable.

Astra found two rolls of bandages and returned to stand in front of Alex.

"To prevent injury." Astra said. Alex must've given her a confused look because Astra continued with a tease. "Allow me."

Astra gave one of the rolls for Alex to hold and then she reached down and took Alex's other hand in hers. She inhaled sharply at her touch.

_Were those fucking sparks? What was this? A romantic drama movie?_

Alex focus on keeping her breaths even as Astra slowly wrapped the bandage around her wrist, the back of her hand, she was starting to pull the roll between her fingers when she stopped and looked down. "Is that too tight?"

She swallowed and shook her head. "No."

Astra nodded and continued. Alex watched, mesmerized, as the other woman carefully wrapped her wrist and knuckles until the bandage ended in Velcro. She pulled tight and patted it down. Then she completed the ritual on the other hand.

Alex was flustered and confused and more than a little worried that this was all just a dream. She tried to feel angry at the woman, tried to summon the rage at being forced to fight against her will…

But then Astra met her eyes and said, "Okay, you are ready."

She sighed. There was some excitement bubbling in her chest, underneath all the nervousness and fear. She balled her hands into fists, feeling the tightness of the bandages.

"Sure."

"There will be no weapons, just you against another soldier." Astra explained. "It will be brutal, but when you are not holding yourself back- you will learn from the experience. The fight ends when a combatant taps out or falls unconscious."

Alex licked her lips and wondered what the fuck she was about to step into. Still, she huffed out a breath. "Okay, cool."

"Good luck, _Alexandra._ " She said. Combined with a smile, the exchange almost felt condescending.

But still, the way she purred out her name made her feel faint. A strong hand on her back directed her towards the ring. She was stopped in front of an average sized man with black hair. He saluted Astra and then threw Alex a dirty look.

"This it, General?" His sneer obvious.

Alex narrowed her eyes, but then turned around to look at Astra when the other woman retracted her hand. Astra had already turned around and was walking away. Before Alex could call out to her, she was being pushed up the stairs to the ring. She tried to follow Astra's figure in the small crowd of spectators but spotlights came down blindingly onto the ring.

She held up a hand to shield her eyes. That's when her opponent stomped onto the stage.

_Holy fuck._

Alex lowered her hand and stared slack jawed. If the first guy from earlier had been a beast, this dude was a monster. He towered over her- she probably only came mid-chest to him. His muscles weren't defined and flashy like that of body builders. No, this guy was built for fighting. There was a slight layer of extra padding, just enough to make him look lethal. Like he could punch through a wall or get hit by a car and probably not even feel it.

_Who decided this was fair?_

She huffed. This dumb initiation was more than a test; it was a punishment and a threat.

She watched the guy shake his arms, shoulders shrugging, loosening and warming his muscles. The excitement from earlier had dissipated completely. How was she going to survive this? She briefly considered just running away from the dude if he got within 5 feet of her. But then if she didn't fight, who knows what they'd do to her…

"You won't last a minute." He predicted, halting his stretching.

Her jaw clenched. It was more than likely true, but it stung- it made her feel mocked and indignant. She began a static stretch of her arms, glaring at him. He was already counting her out, just like everyone else. Her stubbornness and pride flared. She knew she was going to be annihilated, but dammit she was going to give them a fight.

The lights flashed twice. Alex swallowed back her fear.

"Begin!"

Alex awkwardly fell into a classic fighting stance, fists raised and forearms shielding- as though it would do any good. She took a hesitant half-step forward in her stance, while her opponent began barreling towards her. She panicked, digging her heels in more. Ready to spring away or take the blow. It only took him two, quick, lunging strides to close the distance between them. It was like watching a head-on collision between a bicycle and a train.

_Oh no._

Alex saw him land low in his stance, watched his fist lash out. She tried to deflect the blow, swinging her forearm down onto his, but it was futile. His momentum, his whole body was behind that punch.

She flew backwards, tumbling on the floor. Alex groaned and her hands came up to cover her midsection; she wondered if her spleen exploded. Her head spun against the pain, eyes clenched.

_That sucked._

Then her adrenaline production kicked into overdrive. She gritted her teeth and weakly moved. Her forearms were scraped from the landing- they ached, throbbed, as she shifted her weight onto them before moving to her knees. She rose into a lunge slowly, hissed out in pain, but then she stood.

Her opponent had his back to her, leading the crowd in a victory chant. A few people yelled louder at seeing her stand back up, but he didn't take notice.

Alex stalked behind him, baring her teeth animalistically in pain and fury. She kicked, her foot crashing down at his knee. The joint buckled and he fell into a kneel, kneecap landing painfully on the ring.

_Nice, that felt better._

The satisfaction of seeing him fall filled her. With adrenaline rushing through her blood, she reached a high. It was almost orgasmic. She could _easily_ get addicted to that feeling.

It felt like power. It was like she could feel the crackling of all her energy just under her skin, deep in her muscles and bones.

So like lightning, she shifted into her stance and threw a fist at his neck. She bit back a grin as she copied his punch from earlier- her hips twisting, leg lunging forward. She extended her arm in another blow, this time one after another. The jab and cross landing between his shoulder blade and his spine.

"Let's do this!" she taunted, digging her own grave.

He stood slowly, while she rained punches on his back. She ground her teeth together when she realized he wasn't even squirming at her efforts. The satisfaction melted into frustration and she grunted as she threw everything she had into her next punch. It connected with his kidney and he stumbled forward.

Her eyes lit up for a moment but then it was all over. He turned, spinning on his heels with impossible fluidity, and backhanded her.

The crowd winced collectively.

Her head snapped to the side, her lip split open. Stars exploded in her vision. He aimed a punch at her solar plexus and she doubled over. Two huge fists slammed down on her back and she was kissing the floor the next moment. Her fingers scratched at the floor as she held back a yell. The pain was unbearable. Her body had to be broken, the room was spinning, and she could feel how the blood heated and pooled under her skin from the blow.

She swallowed, but then had to push back nausea from the metallic taste of blood. For a minute, all she could hear was the pounding of her heartbeat, but then the sounds of the room returned dull but present. Alex weakly pushed herself onto her hands and knees.

The crowd erupted again.

"Stay down!" He commanded. He picked her up by her shirt, dangling her in the air like a baby kitten held by the scruff of its neck by a mama cat, and then threw her back onto the floor. She crashed like a meteor.

Her arms absorbed most of the blow and she could feel more of her skin tear open. Her bruises had to go right down to the bone. He knelt beside her and flung her onto her back. In a daze, she swung up at him. Her weak punches bounced off of him, he didn't even flinch.

"Pathetic."

Then he threw one last punch, his fist connected with her jaw and she fell unconscious.


	2. Mayhem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astra gives a demonstration of her skills and Alex is so into it... And it seems Astra is into her. Then Alex's life continues to complicate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to re-write one of the scenes so I gotta re-write the next chapter too XP But I'll have that out soon.
> 
> The narrative changes a little the crazier Alex's life gets, but it'll all work out.

_Alex’s head was pounding painfully; she could practically feel her brain pulsating against her skull. Damn, her whole body ached too. She cracked her eyes open and everything was a giant blur, but she could tell she was in a mercifully dark room. Then she saw someone, a woman wearing a familiar green shirt, at her side._

_Her eyelids were impossibly heavy, so they slipped back close. On the edge of unconsciousness again, she turned her head to the side, snuggling into the comfortable pillow, and groaned quietly._

_“Rest, Brave One.” Astra…_

_She felt something gently stroke down her arm before she followed her command. She slipped back into a deep sleep._

* * *

When Alex awoke again, the pain had somehow dulled. Her jaw still throbbed, but it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would. Her mouth was grossly dry, cottonmouth and sweaterteeth. She opened her eyes and blinked once, twice. The lights were overwhelming against the white of the room and she realized she was on one of the hospital beds. She lifted her head, shifted to sit up. Her midsection protested the strain of muscles and she whined and lay back down. Suddenly, she could feel the bruises on her back and shoulders, deep and aching.

_Holy fuck._

The black haired man from earlier stood leaning against the archway of the room. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was gazing out into the Underground. She moved again and he finally turned his head, a bored expression on his face.

“Do you want to go to the hospital?” His voice was calm and quiet.

Alex hadn’t been expecting the question. It probably had less to do with concern as it did making sure she didn’t die in their fight club. She was in pain, but luckily nothing felt broken. And she didn’t think she had a concussion, which was a miracle. She lifted her arms, expecting dried blood to be caked on the underside.

Astra had apparently cleaned her up too. But was that normal? Was it just cause she passed out? Alex didn’t know the customs or the rules; she was more than a little apprehensive about the whole situation. Why did the General even provide first aid to those that fought? What were they fighting for?

She shook her head slowly.

He shrugged. “The General said to rest a week before your next match.”

Alex blew out a breath through her nose. It was as close to a laugh as she could accomplish right now. _Like hell, she was going to do that again._ She grunted as she tried to sit up again. The man watched and she hated the amusement in his eyes. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, wobbly but she kept a hand on the bed to steady her.

“She was impressed.” He added.

Alex highly doubted that. Sure she had lasted a lot longer than she thought she could, but in the end the dude had destroyed her. Her pride was as bruised as her body. The humiliation ate at her, but she pushed it down. She just wanted to walk out of here with her head held high.

“Your stuff is over there.” He nodded to the countertop on the far wall. There was a bottle of water waiting next to the items emptied from her pockets, her phone, keys and wallet. She looked at the time and was surprised that she hadn’t been out long. She checked the contents of her wallet, nothing was missing but she did find a hundred dollar bill wrapped around a piece of paper. She blinked in surprise.

Alex picked out the paper and then tucked her wallet back into her jeans. She unfolded the note.

_You did well for one so fragile. I shall wait in anticipation for your next match- General Astra._

Alex huffed and crumpled up the paper in her hand and stuffed it in her pocket. She grabbed the water and greedily drank. It was heaven sent. After draining the bottle, she threw it on the counter.

“That goes in the recycle bin.”

She snorted. _Recycle bin?_ She picked up the bottle and turned to address him. She shifted her jaw side to side, a hand coming up to inspect the aftermath. Her skin felt hot and the area was swollen but everything seemed okay.

“Can I leave?” Her voice was off.

He motioned for her to follow as he pushed off the archway and led them through the Underground. Most people had left, but there were a few stragglers at the bar. One person raised a beer as she passed, another _smiled_.

Well, it seemed she had passed the orientation… Even Barbara had nodded at her as she exited from the Underground. She walked in a daze through the silent bar. She sat on the curb, called a cab and waited.

* * *

Recovering made the next week hell. Black and blue bruises faded to gross yellow, the more obvious ones were healing under a healthy layer of cover-up. Her jaw had gone back to a normal size, luckily. Her split lip had also earned her several looks, but she had made up some lame excuse for curious coworkers and she found it a little distressing that they believed the lie.

She finally looked as rough as she felt on the inside. But despite it all, she took pride in her battle damage. It was proof that she was strong; it felt like a _fuck you_ to life.

And she found as the days went on, she couldn’t stop thinking about the fight club. She wrestled with the ethics of it. Was it really sane to find enjoyment in beating the living hell out of someone? But there were athletes out there with legitimate careers that called for besting an opponent like that.

Was it wrong for _her_ to have liked it? The terror of the night had faded, like her bruises, and all she really focused on was the rush she had felt. She kept thinking back to the satisfaction of landing punches, of exerting herself in a way cardio at the gym couldn’t achieve, and how she felt so much _lighter_ now than she did before.

Maybe it was because she had been able to exert some repressed rage. The anger she had unknowingly pushed back for years was finally acknowledged and had an outlet. That burning wrath was not exactly colder, but it felt more controlled and she reveled in it.

Then during the nights, Astra would haunt her in her dreams. They were cruel dreams too-dreams where the beautiful woman shoved her up against a wall and kissed her. Dreams where they would be walking down the sidewalk and their hands would brush innocently, but that _spark_ tingled. When Alex awoke with her heart racing and a deep, aching longing in her chest, she could still feel Astra’s touch.

So even though she had laughed at the idea of ever returning to the bar, she was right back there again a week later. Whether to let life beat her up, exhaust herself, or see Astra- well, she wasn’t sure which she wanted more.

Alex entered the building and brushed through the usual crowd, heading towards the hallway in the back. Turning the corner, she kept her head high as she saw Barbara at the door.

The lady-beast nodded in greeting and opened the door for her. As Alex passed, the bouncer lightly patted her shoulder. She wasn’t expecting Barbara to follow her down the darkened stairwell, but when they reached the Underground she motioned for Alex to follow her.

The Underground was packed tonight. There were extra chairs scattered around the room, all turned towards the ring and most of them full. There even seemed to be more barstools squeezed in. The grey haired lady from the first night was fighting some guy Alex had never seen before, but they didn’t stop to watch the match; Barbara led them through the crowd towards the stairs by the first aid room.

Alex climbed the metal steps and entered after Barbara opened the door with a quick key twist. The mysterious room was apparently Astra’s office.

It was dimly lit from two lamps across the room on either side of the General’s desk, where she sat scribbling something. There were many bookcases lining the wall behind her, but otherwise there was not much to the room. A dark fabric loveseat sat in front of the tinted windows that allowed a perfect view of the ring. A small table was stationed on one side of the couch and on top sat a bottle of liquor and an upside down Old Fashioned glass.

The door closed behind Alex and the sound of pen against paper stopped. Astra looked up and smiled easily. Alex swallowed as some of her many dreams of the woman came flooding up- _swimming at night under the moonlight, kissing her lips, biting at her throat-_

“I am happy to see you have recovered,” She stood from her desk. Her tight, black jersey almost looked like a cycling shirt. It fit like a second skin, hugging her figure. The sleeves stopped mid-bicep and Alex felt her mouth go dry- in the light of the lamps, shadows fell on her muscles accentuating how _toned_ Astra was.

_She’s so hot._

Alex cleared her throat and shifted on her feet, eyes glancing out the windows to distractedly watch two guys clean the floor of the ring. They were probably cleaning up the blood left from the fight… “Is that what always happens here? The heavy weight champion beats up the newbie?”

“More or less.” Astra admitted with the raise of one shoulder.

Alex huffed out a laugh. She watched Astra move from behind the desk to stand in front of the windows.

She peered down at the crowd of people as she said, “You were quite remarkable to watch.”

“I lost,” _Badly,_ Alex reminded her. She internally cringed as she remembered being picked up and slammed to the ground. Astra thought she was weak- _fragile._ Alex finally moved from her place by the door to stand behind the couch, her hands gripped the back of the loveseat, blunt fingernails scraped against the fabric.

Astra turned and shot her a smile. “Yes, but you bravely stood after each blow.”

Alex was glad her stubbornness and pride had won her some kudos in Astra’s book. Still, she eyed the whiskey on the table, hoping to ease the underlying humiliation of the loss.

She must’ve noticed the look because Astra motioned to the bottle. “Help yourself, I was not sure what brand you preferred.”

Alex shrugged, “I’m not picky.” She moved around the couch and plopped down before she picked up the bottle and looked it over, gasping quietly when she read the name. It easily cost over two-hundred dollars a bottle… She nodded her approval, _fancy._

“Ah, they have completed the cleaning. That is my cue.” Astra walked over and placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “You are permitted to stay here. I thought, perhaps, you would enjoy watching my match in a more private environment.”

“You’re going to fight?” Her tone was incredulous.

Her hand fell away from Alex’s shoulder. “A reminder of my proficiency keeps the subordinates in line.”

_Subordinates?_

It sounded like Astra wasn’t just the ringleader of a fight club, but something else that connected everyone to the Underground. She couldn’t help wondering, yet again, what exactly she had stumbled into.

As Astra took a step away, Alex caught her wrist; her skin was ridiculously smooth and cold to the touch. Alex wanted to stand, wanted to challenge her face-to-face, but Astra was directly in front of her. So awkwardly sitting on the couch, Alex demanded “What the hell is all this?”

Astra grinned wickedly, “A chance to test a person’s loyalty and strength.”

The purposely vague answer pissed Alex off, but she released Astra’s wrist after a moment. Astra smirked in lieu of a farewell and strode out of the office.

So Alex poured a drink and sank back into the couch. It was damn comfortable… Though she couldn’t shake the feeling that she didn’t belong there. She had no idea why Astra had invited her up to the office… She _hoped_ , of course, that Astra was flirting. But that hope made her want to laugh in a self-deprecating kind of way.

Astra was _perfection_. And for once, Alex didn’t hate the word. It fit Astra, how she looked, how she acted, the air around her… What could Astra possibly want with _her_? A walking mess with family issues, a drinking problem, and apparently a whole lot of repressed rage… Luckily, Alex didn’t get to wallow in her hopelessness for long.

Down below in the fighting ring, the huge beast of a man that Alex fought last week walked up the stairs. Her breath caught in her throat. Astra casually sauntered up, addressed the crowd for a moment, and then bowed to her opponent.

The lights flashed twice and without realizing it, Alex was on her feet to get a better view right up against the window. Astra was faster than any other fighter Alex had seen before. They didn’t waste time like how other fighters did, circling one another endlessly, backing off when one got a hit, slamming back after a moment…

No, Astra let him meet her half way and that seemed to be all the time she needed to calculate her moves.

She struck quick and deadly. She rained punches into his chest, moving with him as he stumbled; all while effortlessly dodging and deflecting his weak retaliations. Then when he blocked one fist, she swung a leg up into his midsection and the kick knocked him to the ground. Alex was in awe as she watched Astra casually walk over to his fallen form. He tried to stand, but she delivered another devastating kick that connected with his neck. He fell sideways, already out cold before he even hit the floor.

The crowd went wild. Alex was amazed by Astra’s skillfulness, she had knocked out the beast that had demolished her last week- all in about thirty seconds… Clearly, Astra was far more dangerous than Alex liked to admit. She didn’t know whether to believe the woman had military training (because she sure as hell wasn’t old enough to be an actual general.) But Astra positively _whooped-ass_ at hand-to-hand combat!

Alex’s attraction to Astra reached precarious levels. She might know next to nothing about her, but she had never met another woman that brought out this _hunger_ from deep inside. Alex took a gulp of her drink, finishing it off and enjoying the burn as it slid down the back of her throat and warmed her chest. The fact Astra had picked out arguably the best whiskey for her, she felt like it meant something…

She poured another glassful, even if she was already starting to feel the effects of the first. She apparently wasn’t going to fight, which she was kind of glad for. She had worn work-out clothes just in case, but if they were going to let her drink in peace… Alex wasn’t going to complain. She was about to sit down again, but noticed that the General hadn’t moved from her spot.

Astra stayed up on the ring as three people dragged the beast to the first aid room. She pointed to someone in the crowd, challenging them. This time, two people stepped up onto the ring with her. One discarded their jacket dramatically, throwing it into the crowd. The lights flashed twice and she showed the two no mercy. It was slightly disturbing how she bested both of them in a matter of minutes.

Her form was beautiful, inspiring. She was flawless in her attacks and she had flawlessly kicked their asses…

Astra spoke to the crowd again and Alex could hear yelling and the beginning of a chant. Non joined her on the stage, taking over as she descended the stairs. The crowd parted like the sea for her.

_What was she? Some kind of god?_

Alex finally sat down again, drink clutched tight in her hand. There was so much more to Astra, and Alex wanted to learn everything about her. Her past, her mistakes, her future, her goals… Where did she learn to fight? Did she sweat? Did she bleed? Would her kisses be demanding or soft?

The door opened behind her and Alex put her glass down. She turned her head and watched Astra walk over, eyes glued to her legs, until Astra sat down next to her. Alex’s eyes dropped and saw there was maybe an inch of space between their thighs. Alex was sure she was imagining the electricity that flowed between them.

“Well?” The question was lethargic, teasing.

Her gaze snapped back up to Astra’s face. Alex read the amusement in the crinkles by her eyes, but there at her hairline- she saw the tiniest bead of sweat. So she wasn’t a god after all…Of the many questions she had earlier, only one flew out of her mouth under pressure.

“Are you really a general?” She watched Astra arch an eyebrow. She could’ve kicked herself ‘cause what if she _was_ flirting and Alex had just ruined it all… She continued, releasing her death-grip on the arm of the couch to motion to Astra’s body. “You’re way too young! I mean, look at you.”

Not the most eloquent way Alex could’ve phrased her attraction, but the compliment seemed to work.

“Flattery,” Astra smiled wide. “I like it.” She distracted Alex by cupping a hand to her face, her ring finger curling, trailing along her jaw where just last week she had received a knock-out punch. It no longer ached and Alex leaned into her touch.

“I am their General,” She finally said, as though that answered any questions. “Did you enjoy my demonstration? Did you find it _informative?”_

Alex wasn’t even sure if Astra was meaning to purr out her questions, but her voice was like music. A melody that put Alex in a trance. Combined with Astra’s half-lidded gaze…

“Yeah, I did.” She breathed out before leaning in to kiss Astra.

_So much better than those dreams._

Even as their lips pressed chastely, she heard Astra’s sharp inhale, but the General didn’t break contact. If anything, the hand on her cheek pressed harder, pulled her closer.  Alex broke, needing more. She parted her lips and kissed Astra more eagerly. Astra matched her passion, their mouths clashed, wet and hungry.

Alex’s hand flew up to grab at the top of Astra’s arm, to squeeze the muscle, to bring her closer. Their knees knocked and she felt Astra’s other hand land on her thigh, grabbing and pressing.

Alex grinned into the kiss, unable to help herself. So Astra was fallible, but more importantly- she seemed to be into her.

But the moment was cut short by a knock on the door. They jolted apart, hands flew back as though the other was on fire. Astra was wide eyed, her face slightly heated, and Alex was sure she looked the same. The General stood just as the door opened.

Non nodded, “We’re ready to move out.” His eyes fell on Alex and he glared. “You dared to come back?”

His attitude pissed her off. Intoxicated and almost high off of Astra's kiss, she reacted without thinking.

“You know what-“ Alex moved to stand to give the man a piece of her mind, but Astra put a hand on her shoulder. At the woman’s sharp look, she stopped talking.

“I will meet you outside, Lieutenant.”

“Of course.”

Non exited the room, the door shutting behind him. The hand on Alex’s shoulder fell as Astra stepped away towards her desk.

Alex stood, following after her. “What did he mean-“

“Not now.” She sounded exasperated as she moved around her desk. She glared at the many stacks of paper, shifting through them in search of something.

_What is happening?_

Between their kiss and Non’s vague announcement that caused Astra’s alarming change in mood, Alex wanted answers.

She caught Astra’s elbow, “Hey, wait-“ But Astra straightened and yanked her arm free. The rejection stung and Alex couldn’t believe how her heart clenched.

Furious grey eyes stared her down. “ _Not now_.” She all but hissed. “I need you to _leave_.”

And it felt like she’d gotten punched in the gut all over again. Alex glared back at her for a moment, hating that she had _felt_ something for the woman. Then she scoffed lightly, turned away from Astra and left the room.

* * *

Of course Alex had gone back the next day, wanting to get some answers. And of course the guy in charge of matching fights, the Captain, as he was called by the Underground’s fighters, had dodged any questions about the General. Alex was clearly agitated, so the Captain had graciously hooked her up with an opponent after he assured her that this time the other person would be of a similar ranking.

But instead of getting her ass kicked by a heavy weight champ, she had gotten her ass kicked by a gothic Irish chick…. This was indescribably more mortifying. Hardly surprising considering Alex hadn’t gone out of her way to train, but still humbling. Though this time Alex had landed a few more punches and had even managed to land a decent kick! Since the fight was a little fairer, it lasted a little longer. There was some progress at least.

During the fight, the excitement had masked any irritation she might’ve felt for Astra. The hurt from Astra’s brush-off couldn’t even compete with the pain from a fist connecting with her face. Going home, the consolation money sans any note burning in her wallet, it had been rough…

Alex couldn’t believe her life had reached a new low. Work couldn’t distract her anymore; the indifference towards her job had transformed into distain. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy helping people, but the challenge was gone. She felt like she’d seen it all before-she wanted something different but didn’t know what.

Then she was neglecting her obligation to check up on Kara _yet again_ because she was finding some sick joy in getting beaten to a pulp. Guilt overshadowed resentment and Alex felt like a horrible sister. The several missed calls throughout the week from her mother finally registered and she realized her mom could probably sense her relapse.

Almost worse, she was still (!) thinking about her kiss with Astra…

She had cried, she had drank, probably drank some more, before eventually she had passed out on her couch.

Oddly, in the morning she felt better. Not physically, no. She was sore all over and her knuckles were bruised and opened. Astra hadn’t been there to wrap her up, so she accepted the ache of her swollen joints.

The post-fight euphoria had eased the pain and the hangover.

Emotionally though, she felt untouchable- in a way that she recognized was lying to herself, but that was _fine_. She didn’t feel remotely guilty when she called out of work.

Now here she was at the grocery store, wearing shades to cover her black eye. She limped slightly and gripped the handle of the small cart as tightly as she dared with skin threatening to tear open. She only needed a few things- food, alcohol, bandages and more make-up.

She felt her phone vibrate and she ignored it, thinking it was a text. By the third vibration Alex sighed and took it out of her pocket. The screen lit up with a selfie of Kara and her, cuddled on the couch.

_This probably won’t end well._

She swiped across the picture and put the phone to her ear. “Hey,” Alex answered. She continued her slow trek through the store, leaning against the small cart lazily.

“Alex! Are you okay? You haven’t called in a week…” She could practically hear the pout in her sister’s voice.

Alex rolled her eyes. Fight club was a welcomed excuse to distance herself from the responsibility she felt for Kara. But even before her night-time fights, her sister had all but fallen off the face of the earth after getting a boyfriend- to the point that Alex felt stupid for even trying to reach out. When Alex _had_ called her, she only got a short two minute conversation.

Leave it to Kara to try to make _her_ feel guilty about being ditched. “I’m fine, thanks. How are you? How’s the boyfriend?” Her last question held some bite.

“I’m good, um, we’re good. I actually called because Eliza said she couldn’t get ahold of you?”

Alex had avoided those calls last week. “Uh, been busy. Yep, been super busy at work.”

“That’s good,” Kara sounded distracted, hesitant. Alex knew it as her _I’m dying to tell you something but I don’t know how you’ll react_ voice. Her sisterly concern flared.

“What did Mom want?” She pressed, hoping to get Kara to talk about what was bothering her. She threw some ramen noodle packages in her cart.

“Eliza is coming down to visit next weekend.” Kara practically groaned, which was weird.

If anyone should feel like groaning, it should be Alex- not Eliza’s favorite… “What’s wrong with that?”

“She wants to meet my boyfriend!” Kara explained in a frustrated rush, “But the thing is…” She groaned, “I don’t… have a boyfriend.”

Alex frowned and raised an eyebrow. A little irritated at being lied to, she started “Wait, so you’ve just been lying to me and-“

“No! Well, I mean yeah.” Kara huffed, “What I mean is, I have a… girlfriend instead?”

She blinked in surprise. When Alex had admitted she was gay to Kara, her sister hadn’t understood at first. Of course, she was supportive but her initial reaction had convinced Alex that Kara was completely straight. So what had caused this development? And why hadn’t she told Alex when it was happening?

Kara wouldn’t keep something this big from her. Clearly, she had misheard! There was a tense silence before she asked, “What?”

“I’m… sorta going out with Lena Luthor.” Alex stopped in her tracks in the middle of the cereal aisle. She didn’t know what was more shocking, the fact that her sister had just came out to her or who she was actually dating.

“Lena… Lena _Luthor_?”

Kara sighed some love-sick sigh. “She’s really sweet and smart and-“

“And the younger sister of Lex Luthor, you know, the mass murderer.” She threw her hand up in the air, “Kara!” She sighed, scrubbing her hand against her forehead to soothe the ache. “You can’t just bring _Lena Luthor_ to dinner with Mom.”

“Alex!” Kara whined, “I know Eliza is cool and everything but do you think she’s gonna be okay with this?”

“Okay that you’re gay or okay that you’re dating a Luthor?”

“Yeah,” She mumbled out.

Alex sighed again. Her own fears about coming out hadn’t been because she thought her mom would get angry. Eliza was a scientist, she understood chemically that love wasn’t a choice. Alex had been more worried about disappointing her mom… Seeing that it was impossible for Kara to displease Eliza, “She’ll be totally understanding, Kara.”

Kara blew out a breath in relief. “I hope so.”

There was a pause and she finally began moving through the grocery store again.

“You know, you should come out to her too.”

Alex barked out a laugh. “Could you imagine Mom’s face?”

She knew exactly how _that_ would go. Kara would get a hug and Eliza would gingerly shake Lena’s hand. But she would turn to Alex and she’d give her some weak smile, discomfort clear in her eyes. She’d get that, “ _Oh sweetie,”_ that her mom only used when their conversations were about to turn into an argument.

“If she’d be okay with me, she’ll be okay with you…” Kara said, her voice was softer.

She had a hard time believing it. “We’ll see,”

“Okay… I gotta go, Alex. But I’ll talk to you later. We should hang out in a couple days.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” She knew that when they did hang out, Kara was probably just going to insist she come out. She really did miss her sister though, so it’d be worth the aggravation.

“Okay, I’ll text you, bye!”

“Bye, love you,” Alex said as she hung up. She pulled her phone away from her ear and clicked the button to lock it. Then she spotted her reflection on the dark screen, dark sunglasses reminded her of _that_ problem.

“Fuck,” She muttered under her breath.

She was going to have to come up with a pretty good excuse for Kara…

* * *

A local Krav Maga class taught by a FBI agent turned out to be the perfect excuse as well as a good way to train. The instructor, Henshaw, acted like he was running a boot camp. Alex was partly amazed at his dedication, but mostly she was just exhausted from how tough he was. Henshaw had picked on her throughout the class- correcting her form, using her for demonstrations.

All she wanted to do, when the two hour class _finally_ ended, was go home and take a shower. She grabbed her gym bag and slung it over her shoulder.

“Danvers,” He called out just before she reached the door of the studio. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”

Alex sighed quietly, long-suffering, and walked over to him. She looked over her shoulder as the last of her classmates filed out of the room. Then she said, “Yes, sir. What’s up?”

She hadn’t known what to think about his obvious favoritism of her. And under his studying gaze, she felt apprehensive. Her black eye was more faded and could almost pass for just plain exhaustion but she wondered if he had noticed her other bruises that littered her body.

“I was wondering about your reason for joining.”

_Yeah, he noticed._

It was nice that he was concerned, but now she had to lie to him. “Uh, well. I need to be able to defend myself, ya know?” She inwardly cringed as he tilted his head slightly. While it had been true, he was probably assuming it had less to do with an illegal fighting ring and more to do with an abusive boyfriend or something.

“I see.” He nodded, his hands went to his hips. “I’ll teach you all that I know.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, but hesitantly smiled. “Okay, um. Thank you sir…”

As she exited the studio, she found herself looking forward to her next fight. There were a few basic moves that Henshaw had showed them that she wanted to try out.


	3. Bad Girls World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Technically, Alex won this fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had to add a chapter~
> 
> Also, I felt I should clarify that Barbara is that lady beast from the beginning of the Livewire episode that Kara fights. The Captain is literally any one of those unnamed Kryptonians. I've tried to make the references to characters pretty clear, like this one features the Hellgrammite, but those two OC's are more vague so...
> 
> I'll have this all posted by the end of the week. Hope y'all are enjoying it.

Alex sighed as she wrapped her knuckles just how Henshaw had taught her in class. Protect the joints, support the wrist, wrap the thumb tight. Her bandage was almost too snug, but she made a fist a couple times to loosen it up.

_She didn’t need Astra’s help._

With the way things had ended between them last time, Alex had tried to push the woman from her mind. The General was obviously running something big- Non’s interruption had seemed urgent. She wondered what kind of illegal activity they focused on. Robbing banks? Astra had said she made all the money she needed… Were they a gang of jewel thieves? There were far too many in her army’s rank….

Whatever the General was orchestrating, Alex found herself hoping it would remain in the dark despite her curiosity

_The less she knew the better._

Because if she knew what the fight club was really there for, she knew she couldn’t come back. She’d lose her ability to blindly lash out (safely, consensually) and she was _scared_ of falling back into an alcohol fueled, raging depression. She still drank, but not like before. Alex felt like her life was slowly falling back to something good.

Kara was talking to her again! And after the phone call with her, they hung out for the first time in what felt like months. It was a classic Danvers sister night, complete with a cheesy movie and cuddling on the couch. Her bruises had ached in Kara’s strong hold, but it felt more than worth it. They talked like the used to- Kara gushed about Lena practically nonstop and Alex had missed her energetic ranting.

But her sister had paused her infatuated monologue to ask Alex how _she_ was doing. Alex had buried into Kara’s shoulder more, uncharacteristically seeking comfort, and had sighed. She talked about Astra as vaguely as she could have.

 _“Oh, there’s this woman I met at a bar_. _She’s beautiful… and fierce. But I dunno…”_

Kara had seen right through it though. She wanted Alex to go for it again, to let herself be happy with someone she was attracted to. Alex had tried to explain it was a lot more complicated than that, but she was told to just _stand up for herself._ And like Alex had predicted, Kara wanted her to tell Eliza.

As she wrapped her other hand, Alex felt her stomach flip-flop at the idea of coming out to her mom. It was past time to be honest with her though. She was preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.

_Kind of like this fight._

Alex took a deep breath when she was all wrapped up; she pushed back her feelings for now to focus on what Henshaw had taught her. Those essentials he had drilled into the class that he said would make or break a fight.

_“Keep them at a distance until you can strike a weak point. Stay balanced. Fight dirty.”_

She walked over to Captain, who already had her opponent on stage. He was a younger man and he looked like an antagonist out of a hacker movie- emo and lanky and slinking. Almost like a bug, personified. Her skin crawled just looking at him.

He was dressed in loose, practically worn out, blue jeans and a zipped up black hoodie. He didn’t exactly look bored, but he looked fed-up about something. Was he being forced to fight?

Alex had never seen him before. “Who’s this guy?”

“He’s always been a part of our forces, but rarely competes.” The Captain frowned.

She stepped up onto the ring and stretched. Meanwhile, her opponent didn’t even warm up, he just glared at her from across the ring. Her eyes flicked up to Astra’s office and she wondered if the woman was up there or off on some mission…

The lights flashed twice and Alex’s stomach churned in anticipation as it always did. She took a deep breath then,

“Begin!”

Alex felt more confident as she stepped into her stance, arms up to protect herself. He finally stopped glowering and they met in the middle of the ring. He jutted out a punch that barely missed and she stomped her foot into his thigh, pushing him back to maintain some space. He merely grunted and stepped closer as she recovered her stance from the kick. His right hook connected into her side and she gasped.

Adrenaline was on her side though. Before he could retreat, she lashed out. Her palm smashed into his nose, breaking it. He stumbled back as blood gushed, eyes clenched shut. Alex wiped her hand down her pants, but by then he had recovered. He growled, baring his teeth and came at her again.

She took the low road and kicked him in the balls. While he doubled over, she grabbed his shoulders and thrust his head down as she brought her knee up. His face collided and she felt the blood seep into her pants, felt the bone of his nose move. He retreated again, this time falling on the floor.

_Hell yeah._

In class, Henshaw had guaranteed an instant win with that move. But this guy seemed resilient, like a cockroach.

He wiped blood from his nose and mouth with the sleeve of his jacket as he glared up at her. Alex was _shamelessly_ enjoying this fight and she bounced in her stance as her heartbeat pounded in her ears. She sneered back at him, waiting for him to get up since he didn’t tap out.

“You’re gonna get it now, bitch.”

He stood and fished into his pocket as he stalked back over to her, looking extra creepy with blood rushing down his face. His hand was wrapped around something but with a flick of his wrist- the blade of a hunting knife glinted in the spotlights of the Underground.

_Fuck._

Some people from the crowd gasped as he leapt at her, knife swinging between them. Alex’s heart was racing wildly as she jumped away. She just barely missed getting her throat slashed or her chest sliced open. From the corner of her eye, she could see Captain bounding up the stairs.

She saw the panic flash across her opponent’s face. He gnashed his teeth and lunged at her. She howled as the blade stabbed into her left thigh. Then he shoved her out of the way and she fell on the floor.

He tried to make his escape by jumping down from the ring. The Captain was in hot pursuit and caught him by his shoulder and chucked him to the ground. Bug man didn’t stand a chance as Captain knelt down delivered a hammer fist into his throat. He gurgled some horrible choking sound before Captain’s hands curled around his chin and the back of his head and he twisted- breaking his neck effortlessly.

At the ring, Alex lay on the floor, her hands curled in pain, her other leg bent at the knee and her back arched. Her teeth ground together, _god it hurt so fuckin much._ She felt a cool hand on her cheek and the other at her hip. Alex’s eyes snapped open, panting out a breath, and saw the General.

“ _Astra.”_ She was relieved to see her, she felt safer.

“Alexandra!” Her name was rushed out in one exhale.

Astra, who was always so calm and collected, looked absolutely freaked out. Her eyes were wide and frantic, searching her face. Then she moved, the hand on her cheek gone and leaving her skin burning for the cold touch. She pushed Alex’s right knee down so she could see and she hissed in through her teeth, worried and sympathetic.

_Probably not a good thing._

Alex tried to sit up, to see the damage. She had seen a lot of gory accidents during her time as a doctor but she almost fainted when she saw the blade buried halfway into her thigh. Alex fell back down and felt her eyes burn and become blurry, moist. Worst case scenarios harassingly popped into her mind: the dirty knife would leave a raging infection, the blade hit her bone, they’d have to amputate-

_No, she couldn’t panic._

Her training kicked in all at once and it was like a wave of surreal calmness washed over her. She took a deep, shuddering breath and leaned onto her elbows so the top half of her body was slightly raised. Her heartbeat still pounded, but she focused on keeping her breathing even to reduce anxiety.

Alex knew it looked worse than it was, that was usually the case with cuts and stab wounds. All the blood seeping into her sweatpants certainly wasn’t a good thing though. Her gaze went back to Astra, watched her bite her lip and saw her _seethe_.

Astra turned back to her, eyes aflame. Alex’s breath hitched at the look; underneath the fire, she saw some softness like she _cared_ about her. She stroked Alex’s cheek and her thumb reached up to brush away the tears that escaped when Alex blinked them away.

“Hold on, Brave One.”

The General stood, looking like a force to be reckoned with. At the base of the stairs of the ring Barbara stood, holding the bug guy’s limp body. Alex gasped when she realized he was dead- Captain had fucking _murdered_ her opponent. She watched, heart racing, as Astra stood on top of the ring and addressed the hushed crowd.

“One of our own has broken our law and broken our trust.” Her voice rang out, hard and cold as steel. For show, Barbara carelessly tossed the man’s body on the ground and Astra pointed to the corpse. “Let this be a reminder to you all. Do not stand against me.”

The silence was heavy and loud as her threat permeated her subordinates.

“Everyone. Out.”

And it wasn’t like how people poured out of their seats like at a concert. No, these people were trained. They filed into rows of three and they _marched_ quickly out of the room and up the stairs with Barbara leading the pack.

Alex was feeling more and more lightheaded. She puffed out a breath and lay down, fighting back nausea and resuming her breathing exercises. Astra walked over again, looking infinitely colder.

Her hands were gentle as they rested momentarily on her uninjured thigh. Then the Captain raced over and knelt down opposite the General, clutching a towel and a roll of medical gauze. Astra put a hand on her shoulder and gave her an apologetic look.

Alex gasped as Astra’s hand grabbed the handle of the knife. “Wait!” Alex screamed in pain as the blade was yanked out of her thigh. Astra threw it behind her haphazardly and Captain swooped in and pressed the towel onto her wound with a bruising force.

She gritted her teeth to keep from sobbing. Astra shushed her gently, like she was an upset child. Her hand released Alex’s shoulder and she felt two fingers slide under the elastic of her sweatpants, Alex lifted on one arm and snatched Astra’s wrist with her other. The General stilled for a moment.

Wordlessly, they communicated with just one look. Alex was wide-eyed and slightly dazed, but Astra recognized that the woman was a medical professional, scrambling to help as a distraction.

She nodded in understanding and ordered, “Captain, go retrieve the clothes from my desk. Bottom drawer on the left.” He didn’t hesitate.

Astra’s hands pressed against the warm, wet towel. Alex sat up as best she could and pulled her pants down, shifting and taking a moment to pant in a breath when the hem of her pants sat on her upper thigh.

_She was glad she was wearing her good boxers._

The smell of blood was nauseously overwhelming in the air, but just like at work she ignored it. Alex looked at Astra and licked her lips. And then she nodded.

Alex yanked her pants down to her knees at the same moment Astra lifted the towel up. Her sweatpants were soaked with her blood and Alex shuddered in disgust at the feel of the sticky wetness being dragged down her leg. But it was over in a second and Astra was back to pressing the towel against her injured leg with even more pressure than before.

“Okay, I need to wrap it, Alexandra.”

Alex placed her hands on Astra’s. In an attempt at humor she cracked a tight smile and corrected her, “Call me Alex.”

Astra grinned for a moment and she pulled her hands out from under Alex’s before reaching for the bandages. The white of the roll was marred by sticky, bloody fingerprints as she handled it. Astra directed her to bend her knee slightly with a gentle touch to the underside of her leg.

Alex pulled the towel away and made a face- her thigh looked pretty gross. Blood smeared on her pale skin, pooling in the wound and slowly trickling out. Astra put the end of the bandage roll a couple inches up from the wound and Alex’s blood caked finger held it there. She rolled the bandage toward her, then under her thigh.

Her breath hitch when the back of Astra’s other hand went between her legs and nudged them apart. It made her think back to when she was a teenager in high school going to the doctor’s office for a physical; how the doctor’s touch on her midsection could make sharp tingles shoot straight up her spine.

_Get a grip._

Astra bandaged her up the best she could, but blood was already soaking through the layers of cloth. “This will have to do until we make it to the hospital.”

Alex felt like grumbling. How was she going to explain _this_ to her coworkers?

The Captain appeared just in time holding a pair of black gym shorts with pink flowers on them.

_What the fuck, that’s cute._

Astra pulled Alex’s sneakers off and then tugged the bloodied sweatpants all the way off. She pulled the shorts up, fingernails trailing along Alex’s leg innocently, but goosebumps rose behind the touch. Alex reached out and swatted her hand, putting the shorts on the rest of the way herself.

Now came the hard part. She sucked in a breath at the pain as Astra tried to help her stand. She clutched at the other woman for balance and slowly limped to the edge of the ring, but there was no way she could manage to get down without hurting herself. So the Captain picked her up fluidly and carried her down the stairs and into the first aid room.

She was placed down by the deep, white basin sink. Astra kept a steadying, albeit unnecessary, hand on her hip and watched Alex unwrap the bloodied cloth before scrubbing her hands clean; the water ran pink. She stubbornly refused the Captain’s assistance and staggered over to the hospital bed. It took a second to hop up, but she could only take so much of people acting like she was helpless.

“How are you feeling?” Astra asked, kneeling in front of her holding a wet towel.

Alex huffed out a laugh. “Just great.”

The General gave her a small smile before her hand reached out grab the underside of Alex’s calf muscle. Alex grabbed the sheets of the bed as Astra gently wiped away the dried blood that had smeared down her leg.

The older woman finished and chucked the towel into the sink and went to wash her hands. Meanwhile the Captain handed Alex the plain, red drawstring bag she carried her stuff in.  

She couldn’t refuse this time as he picked her up again, carefully holding her so her leg wasn’t jarred, and carried her out of the room. Astra raced up the stairs in front of them, probably going to retrieve her car. It took the Captain a minute, since the stairs were a bit trickier, but Alex held onto him tight. Despite knowing he just killed someone, probably not for the first time, she wasn’t scared; she trusted in his loyalty to Astra. 

_Still, she wished Astra was carrying her instead._

The bar was completely shut down, which was odd since it was only 7 at night- clearly the fight club had some say in the hours of operation. Maybe Astra owned the bar too? They exited the building and a white Tesla sat in front of the curb. Alex was glad she had decided walk to the bar instead of taking her car ‘cause she had always wanted to ride in a Tesla. The passenger door was flung open and the Captain placed her down and she managed to settle herself in. Her bag was placed in the floor of the car.

As soon as the door closed, they took off; Alex buckled by the time they hit the busy street. The ride was silent with Alex leaned against the door of the car, fighting to keep her eyes open. She felt Astra grab her hand and squeeze gently.

She didn’t want to think about how their last encounter had ended. How Astra had pulled back, rejected her and told her to leave. Then she _really_ didn’t want to think about the fact the fight club had no qualms against murder as punishment for a perceived injustice.

_Do not stand against me._

She knew Astra was a dangerous woman, but to kill one of her ranks… She needed to think about something else… Something that didn’t involve murder or Astra casually holding her hand…

“Why do you have these shorts in your desk?”

Astra laughed, “I wear them when I cycle.”

The mental image of the General lazily riding a bicycle with a basket full of flowers attached to the front made Alex snort.

They arrived at the hospital and Astra parked in the Emergency Room drop off. She slammed her door close and Alex opened her door and was starting to try to step out when the other woman leaned close. Alex sucked in a breath as Astra scooped her into her arms and didn’t even look affected by it. She wrapped her arms around Astra and let her head fall onto her shoulder. She felt safe.

_What was wrong with her? Probably blood loss._

Astra lay her down carefully on one of the hospital beds and then turned back towards the entrance as Alex was checked in and wheeled away to a room. She was given some extreme pain meds, which was _lovely_ , then she was rushed to take x-rays and then she underwent some quick blood tests. When she was taken back into her room, she was surprised to find Astra stiffly sitting in a chair in the corner.

The nurse left just as the doctor entered. Luckily, Alex didn’t know him. He was a younger man, short and slightly overweight; his arms were decorated with colorful tattoos of a forest. He looked up from his clipboard and smiled at Alex and then at Astra in the corner.

“Are you the wife?” He asked.

Astra shot Alex a look and smiled evilly. “Yes.” Alex sputtered while Astra stood and reached out to shake his hand.

“Dr. Danvers will need a couple stitches and a pint of blood, but then she will make a full recovery.”

 _Great, he knows who I am._ She felt like pouting.

“Excellent.”

“And how are you feeling?” He asked, walking over to inspect her vital signs.

The pain medication had kicked into overdrive. She could barely move, her words slurred slightly as she answered, “Kinda tired.”

The doctor laughed, “Glad to see we hooked you up with the good stuff.” He paused to inspect her wound, “My assistant will be right in to sew you up and perform the blood transfusion.” He said before leaving.

When the door closed, Astra walked over to the bed and raised a hand to curl her fingers into Alex’s short, soft hair. Alex leaned into the touch.

“You scared me, Brave One.”

Alex laughed, “You were scared?” Her words were slow but she couldn’t help but grin. “How do you think I felt?”

Astra scratched lightly at her scalp. “I am truly sorry.”

_Sorry for making her fight in the first place? Sorry for kissing her? Sorry for murdering a dude? Sorry for-_

She looked up at her grey eyes and sighed. Why could she not be angry at Astra? Why wasn’t she scared? If she accidently broke another one of fight club’s laws, she’d probably get her neck snapped too. But with the way Astra’s fingers tangled in her hair, she was almost convinced she’d be spared again.

Then there was a knock on the door. “Hey, sorry to interrupt, but I’m here to start the transfusion for Dr. Danvers.”

Alex was hooked up and sewn together, while Astra stood on the other side of her bed and kept their fingers laced together. She was starting to doze off, the stress of the day finally exhausting her. Not to mention those pain meds had her on another level.

They were out of the hospital by midnight. And Astra placed her in the car and reached across her to buckle her up; her eyes might’ve been closed but Alex felt the subtle press of a kiss against her shoulder, but she drifted off to sleep as the car started quietly.

Before she knew it, Astra was unbuckling her and reaching into her bag for her keys. Then she was picked up bridal style though instead of wrapping her arms around Astra, she hung like a limp noodle.

“What is your apartment number?”

Alex wasn’t even conscious enough to ask Astra how she knew her address.

Alex blew out a frustrated breath; she was so close to falling asleep again. She groaned, “I dunno.” She weakly lifted a hand to her head and mumbled out which floor and what room. Then she shifted, snuggling into Astra’s neck and sighed.

“You can fall asleep momentarily…” Astra struggled to open the door without dropping Alex. She kicked the door close behind her and stumbled through the dark apartment. The lights of the city were dulled by half-closed blinds, but she managed to locate the bedroom at the far end of the apartment.

She grunted when she ran into the couch and nearly fell up the stairs to the bedroom. At last she made it to Alex’s bed and she breathed a sigh of relief. She placed the woman onto the edge of the bed, not even bothering to pull back the covers.

Astra straightened to stretch, her back and arms slightly sore, but one look down at Alex’s sleepy face made it all worth it.

“Good night, Alexandra.” Daringly, she kissed the woman’s forehead. She let her lips linger a couple seconds before she pulled away. “You impressed me today… I like you.”

_I like you._

She was surprised when Alex’s hand reached out and grabbed her. “Wait,” She mumbled.

“Hmm?”

Alex pulled at her wrist. “Stay.” She opened her bleary eyes and pouted up at Astra. “Please?”

And Astra bit her lip and nodded. She moved to the other side of the bed and scooted over until she was in the middle. Alex turned her head and reached out to touch Astra.

There was too much space between them.

So Alex shifted closer and finally felt Astra’s body heat beside her. She turned onto her right side and snuggled into the pillow. Then she blindly reached behind her to tug Astra’s wrist and she mumbled a sleepy, “Come ‘ere.”

Astra shifted to her side and wrapped an arm around Alex’s middle and pressed her body flush against her back. Her forehead rested against her neck.

“G’night, Astra.” Alex said as she moved her hand to rest on top of Astra’s forearm. Her thumb rubbed lazily side to side, the rhythm and touch soothed both of them.

“Sleep well,” Astra answered and her arm tightened around her, bringing her closer. They were asleep in a matter of minutes.


	4. Gonna Get Mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Supercorp makes an appearance at Eliza's visit. And then Alex goes to see Astra...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a minute. I was originally just going to post this chapter with the next one, but I think this will work better. Finally getting to the good part XP
> 
> Notice, yet again, that I added another chapter. And the rating has changed. 
> 
> Hopefully some parts of this chapter make up for the delay ;D

Alex couldn’t believe it was already the weekend of Eliza’s visit. Apprehension churned in her stomach as she dared to hope for the best. She walked down the hallway of Kara’s apartment complex, carrying her favorite bottle of wine in a paper bag. There was a slight limp in her step from her injured leg and her sore muscles from yesterday’s Krav Maga lesson.

She knocked on Kara’s door and absentmindedly itched at her stitches that were rubbing against her jeans. Soon the door open and Alex straightened immediately, hiding the bottle behind her back.

“Hey Mom.”

“Sweetie, it’s so good to see you.”

Eliza smiled easily, though her eyes flicked down at Alex’s attempt to smuggle the brown bag, and opened her arms and they hugged briefly.

Alex had noticed the look and felt the familiar exasperation flare. _So it begins._

Her mother closed the door behind them as she entered. Alex spotted Kara and Lena on the loveseat in the living room, proudly cuddled up against the other and giggling. The Luthor had a glass of wine perched in one hand, while the other rest atop Kara’s knee. Her sister had her arm around her girlfriend and she was grinning from ear to ear.

 _Sickening_.

Not that she wasn’t happy for them; she was glad to see Kara had found someone to replace her last dick of a boyfriend. Her and Lena were already just so nauseatingly cute that it irked her slightly. Especially when she was craving that kind of affection from a certain General…

_Stop. Focus on surviving tonight._

Alex went directly to the kitchen to rummage through Kara’s cabinets in search of a glass big enough to pour half of the bottle of wine into. She sighed when she found one that would work, then she glanced at the scene in the living room again. Eliza was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs opposite the couch, talking with the two.

Her sister already came out, so she was next… She poured her wine, took a preemptive sip from the bottle, and then made her way over to the unoccupied chair next to her mother.

“So, Alex…”Kara started, shifting to sit up and scoot to the edge of the couch. She adjusted her glasses in a cute, almost shy manner. “I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Lena.”

Grainy newspaper photographs didn’t do the Luthor justice, she was gorgeous. Her hair wasn’t up in her usual bun or tight pony-tail; her straight, dark brown hair fell past her shoulders. She was dressed to impress in a navy blue blouse and black slacks. She looked like all business, despite her smile. Sitting next to her sister, who was wearing a comfy red sweater and jeans, their differences were almost too adorable.

Alex set her drink on the coffee table and reached across the space to shake hands with Lena.

“How are you, Alex?” The handshake was polite and gentle. “Kara has told me so much about you.” Her posh British accent seeped into every word.

Alex settled back into her seat, drowning in pillows. “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?” She inwardly cringed at how formal she was acting. She snagged her glass off the coffee table and took a large gulp of the wine.

Lena smiled, the rosy pink lipstick striking against her overly white teeth. “Absolutely wonderful. I am so happy to finally meet Kara’s family.”

Eliza’s hand rested on her forearm when Alex moved to sip her drink again; she had to stop herself from flinching against the touch.

“You just got here, Alex. You shouldn’t drink so much.”

She forced herself to smile. “It’s just wine, Mom. And please, don’t start. Like you said, I just got here.” Eliza frowned and Alex felt a stab of guilt. She sighed and said, “Sorry, what are we having for dinner?”

Kara cleared her throat and leaned backed into the couch, snuggling into her girlfriend. “Lena is having her personal chef whip us up something.”

“Well, Kara couldn’t decide what she wanted.” Lena jokingly nudged Kara, “So I just had them prepare a bit of a smorgasbord. They should be delivering it shortly.”

“You two are adorable.” Eliza said, smiling at the two.

And they really were. Kara’s eyes were squinted in delight and Lena grinned. “Thank you, Eliza.”

Kara sent Alex a pointed look that made her wish she had brought a flask of whiskey. “Alex…” She said in a singsong voice.

“Kara, not now please.” Her heart was pounding, but she glanced at her mother out of the corner of her eye.

Eliza raised an eyebrow. “I hope you two realize that you’re not being subtle.” She shifted in her seat, scooting to the edge, so she could reach out and place a hand on Alex’s knee. “Alexandra, I will always love you. No matter what.”

Alex swallowed around the lump forming in her throat. She _knew_ her mom would accept her but hearing that made her want to cry. She set her drink down and put a hand on Eliza’s. “Mom,” She took a shaky breath. “I know- I know you wanted me to have a successful and normal life-“

“Sweetie,” Eliza stopped her, “I just want you to be happy. My beautiful daughter, you are perfect the way you are.”

Kara let out a small, “Aww…”

Eliza stood and pulled Alex into another hug. “I’ve always suspected you were gay,” She admitted, rubbing her back when Alex scoffed out a laugh. “But thank you for telling me.”

And she felt the crushing weight of the world lift off her shoulders. Her relief melted into a glowing happiness that left her smiling for the rest of dinner.

* * *

Alex was surprised, on the following Monday morning, to receive a receipt of payment from the hospital. She knew _she_ didn’t pay the ridiculous emergency room fee and that meant Astra had taken care of her bills. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised, since the other woman seemed so righteous. Regardless, Alex was thankful for Astra’s responsibility.

Waking up alone the morning after the hospital visit, Alex had been counting down the days until she could see the other woman. Her family obligations and work were the only reasons she hadn’t already gone back to the Underground again to see Astra.

Alex had to fight back the wave of giddiness as she remembered falling asleep in Astra’s arms. After the life threatening incident, she had felt _safe_ again as her little spoon. She knew she had a crush- a stupid, dangerous, impossible crush.  

And now she had an opportunity and an excuse to go see her.

Barbara stood guarding the door, arms crossed in front of her chest. Alex noticed the woman’s cheek had been recently sliced open; the wound looked red and angry but wasn’t bleeding. She almost asked what happened, but the bouncer opened the door and silently led her down the stairs.

The Underground was completely empty. Their footsteps echoed in the large chamber and Alex felt spooked.

“Where is everybody?”

Barbara stomped up the metal stairs to Astra’s office, “Out. They’ll be back soon.” As Barbara turned the key, Alex noticed how her knuckles were bruised and swollen.

“Thanks,” She said looking up at the bouncer, entering the dark office. Her breath hitched when she turned and saw Astra across the room sitting at her desk, reading something.

Astra’s hair was messily pulled up in a loose bun. Her white steak gleamed in the curls. She wore a black lace dress that was accentuated with gold. Toned arms and shoulders were on display, her collarbones prominent. The dress dipped low, Alex’s mouth went dry and she couldn’t tear her gaze away from Astra’s cleavage.

Astra’s eyes flicked up from the paper and her lips quirked up in amusement. The other woman was frozen in the spot on the other side of the room.

“Alexandra,” She purred, grinning when Alex’s eyes finally snapped up to hers. “How are you?”

“Better,” She said in a breath. Alex moved, being pulled like a magnet, over to Astra’s desk. Her palms rested on the cool, smooth wood. She leaned over the furniture slightly, Astra’s beauty beckoning her closer. “I came by to say thanks.”

“For?” She prompted with a raised eyebrow.

Alex shrugged a shoulder up, “Taking care of my hospital bills… But ya know, my coworkers were mad they weren’t invited to our wedding.”

Astra smiled, “My apologies for the trouble, Dr. Danvers…” She didn’t look the least bit sorry. “I am glad you stopped by though, I think I neglected to congratulate your victory…” Astra rose from the desk and walked around it. Alex straightened and looked up at her. She raised a hand to grab Alex’s chin and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You are exceptional.”

Alex wasn’t satisfied with that though. She wrapped her arms around Astra and leaned in, connecting their lips. There was no slow build up like last time as they parted their mouths and kissed, hungry and wanting.

Alex’s hands roamed over Astra’s back, fingertips pressed hard to pull her closer. Their bodies were flush together. Astra held her with a hand on the nape of her neck while her other hand slowly trailed down Alex’s side. She swallowed Alex’s moan when she moved to grab the woman’s jean clad ass. She delighted in the dull fingernails that scratched down her shoulder blades.

Astra fought a smile as her hand traveled back to squeeze Alex’s hip hard, then she reached down between her thighs to rub the woman’s center. Alex pulled back from the kiss to throw her head back a little and groan. “ _Astra._ ”

The General pushed up, teasing her through her jeans, loving how the woman bucked into her touch, while her mouth went to suck at Alex’s throat. The hands on her back clawed.

“I believe you deserve a reward for your bravery.” She whispered against her skin. She bit at her neck and felt the vibrations of Alex’s moan. The hand grinding up into Alex promised an amazing reward.

 “Oh yeah?” Alex panted.

Her body was already overwhelmingly hot; she could feel the slickness soaking into her underwear. Still, she’d never actually been intimate with someone. Nervousness bubbled up and almost sliced through Alex’s lust. But Astra was the woman of her dreams in so many ways and she planned to enjoy everything about her. She pushed back the fear and surrendered to the excitement and pleasure.

Astra hummed her affirmative. She nipped at the woman’s throat again, then her jaw, and finally their lips connected again. Alex gave as good as she got, she bit at Astra’s bottom lip, teeth digging into sensitive flesh. When she released her hold, their mouths clashed again.

Alex groped at Astra’s chest, groaning at the discovery that she wasn’t wearing a bra. She felt the woman smile into their kiss. Astra’s hands trailed up from between Alex’s legs and she wrapped a finger through the belt loop of her jeans. Astra tugged at the material a moment before her hand slid up under the hem of Alex’s shirt. Alex broke their kiss to gasp and then she dove back for more, shaking slightly as Astra’s cold hand crept closer to her thundering heart.

Astra shifted and pinned Alex between her and the desk. If a pen rolled off and fell to the floor, neither woman noticed. The older woman snuck two fingertips under Alex’s sports bra to teasingly circle an already hard nipple. The hand retreated, resting on Alex’s midsection and then Astra pulled back from their kiss and she looked at her with half-lidded eyes; Alex’s face was slightly flushed but she looked blissful.

“Absolutely extraordinary…” She murmured before she gripped the hem of Alex’s shirt and yanked it upward.

Alex took the hint and disconnected from Astra to strip off her shirt and then her bra. As soon as the clothes hit the floor, Astra’s teeth were on her; biting at the juncture between her shoulder and her neck, and then biting again on a collarbone. Alex arched and held the edge of the desk with both hands as Astra nipped above a breast and dragged her teeth down. Astra was pleased at Alex’s hiss of pleasure as she brought a hand up to pinch and roll a nipple while her tongue and teeth teased the other.

_Alex was pretty sure she was going to die from the blissful torture Astra was putting her through, but what a way to go._

Her fingernails dug uselessly into the wood of the desk. Finally Astra kissed back up her chest, while strong arms wrapped around her, and she said, “We should continue this on the couch, Brave One.”

And she stumbled with Astra over to the loveseat. Alex wasn’t expecting to be pushed, so she fell into the middle of the couch rather clumsily, but then Astra made up for it by reaching behind her and unzipping her dress, letting it fall to the floor.

_Yeah, she was trying to kill her._

Wearing only a pair of black panties, Astra’s toned and sexy body almost gave Alex a nosebleed. Astra grinned at the younger woman’s reaction. She moved to stand in front of her and nudged Alex’s legs apart with a gentle kick to her foot, then she dropped to her knees.

Astra’s hand roamed and squeezed and pressed against Alex’s uninjured thigh, while the other trailed slowly up the inner seam of the woman’s jeans. Alex sank into the couch, her hips jutting up, but her hands stayed fisted at her side.

Alex’s pants were undone the next moment and Astra took her time pulling off her jeans until her still healing stitches were revealed, then they were yanked down to her ankles urgently. Astra’s hands buried under Alex’s thighs and then pulled her ass to the edge of the couch. She bit at the inside of her thigh, making Alex cry out again, before she removed the woman’s sticky underwear.

Her center glistened with arousal and Astra licked her lips. She ducked her head between Alex’s spread thighs and licked from her opening up to her clit.

“ _Fuck,”_ Alex moaned, her eyes fell close, and her hands shot up to tangle into Astra’s hair. She had never felt this _good_ before.

Astra shifted to place Alex’s uninjured leg over her shoulder, her hand stayed splayed on the woman’s hip. Astra circled her tongue around her clit while her other hand rubbed against the pooled wetness below. Alex gripped Astra’s hair tight, her hips fought against the hold, wanting to rut up against Astra’s hot mouth.

“ _Astra,”_ She growled between clenched teeth. She felt the woman chuckle, but before she could plead for more-

Two fingers slowly pushed into her entrance. Alex’s walls clenched around them, trying to keep them locked _there_ , deep inside her, but Astra pulled back until just the tips of her fingers brushed against her opening. Alex wanted more, needed more.

Astra’s eyes flicked up at Alex’s face; the younger woman’s head was thrown back uncomfortably against the cushions of the couch, her jaw tensed. Finally, she had pity on the woman.

“Yes! _Fuck yes!”_

Astra’s fingers drove into her, knuckle deep, curling slightly as they retreated back out. The coiling pressure in her abdomen built, her body was _on fire_ and she was desperate for release. She canted her hips as much as Astra would let her, trying to match pace with her fingers while grinding her clit on Astra’s tongue.

When Astra swirled her tongue and sucked as her fingers sunk deep, Alex came. White exploded behind her eyelids and her whole body tensed. She groaned, low and half-choked out, as she rode her orgasm out.

Astra pulled her head back slightly, resting against the inside of Alex’s thigh, but kept her fingers buried inside her until her walls stopped spasming. The older woman smiled as she watched Alex come down from her high. Her tongue swiped across her lips to clean off Alex’s arousal, but she playfully wiped her chin against the other woman’s leg.

Alex huffed out a laugh and cracked her eyes open. Her hands detangled from curly hair and she grinned down at Astra. She sighed, content, when Astra kissed her thigh before lowering it off her shoulder. Alex had to bite her lip as Astra removed her fingers, her body was oversensitive.

Astra licked her digits clean, then she straightened and her palms rested above Alex’s hips. She coyly smiled up at the woman “So, did you enjoy your reward?”

Alex wanted to roll her eyes, but she sat up and leaned forward to kiss Astra’s forehead. “You know I did.”


	5. Apocalyptic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go from great to rough to worse and then sexy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you believe it's all gonna wrap up next chapter? Me either.

It was her night to fight and Alex had no doubt in her mind she could win just from ecstasy alone. Between her family drama clearing up and Astra going down on her yesterday… She felt _invincible._

Unbridled happiness transformed into hyperactivity and she couldn’t keep herself from bouncing on her feet. As she warmed up on one side of the ring, she looked over and grinned up at Astra’s office. The memory of Astra on her knees between her legs sent a pleasurable shiver through her.

_Oh yeah, she was going to win this fight._

The Captain sent up her opponent, Indigo- she was lean with flaming red hair. With blue framed glasses she almost looked like an overworked secretary from an 80s movie. Alex would’ve guessed the woman was a bitchy computer nerd just from her unimpressed expression and business casual attire.

_Honestly, who the fuck fights in slacks?_

But when the lights flashed and the fight began, Alex realized the woman was going to be more of a challenge than she appeared. She was _ridiculously_ quick. As they circled each other, Alex couldn’t land a blow. Whenever she lashed out to attack, Indigo would block her and they would circle each other again. The woman’s crooked smile grew as Alex’s anger made her punches heavier and less controlled.

She practically pounced into her next jab, frustrated at how the woman was skillfully dodging everything. Alex growled and she saw the woman wink. She only had a split second to switch to defense before a kick was swung at her head. Alex deflected but then Indigo was back in her stance and aiming a punch towards her midsection.

Alex dodged and blocked a flurry of attacks, grateful that Henshaw had sparred with her anytime the class had to pair up. He never held back with her and the extra attention in class was saving her now. Breathing heavily and arms stinging, she stayed focused on her opponent’s moves waiting for the right moment-

_Gotcha now._

As Indigo aimed a right hook at Alex’s jaw, she managed to catch the woman’s wrist. Alex’s eyes flashed with glee. She twisted, to move slightly behind the woman, and then she smashed a hammer fist down onto Indigo’s trapped arm, looking to disconnect the shoulder blade. When she struggled against Alex’s hold, Alex moved again to punch her in the solar plexus. She doubled over and Alex grabbed her shoulder, wrapped a leg behind Indigo’s, and shoved with all her body weight.

They fell to the floor together and Alex winced as her knee took the brunt of her fall, but she used the stance to her advantage, aiming her fist into the woman’s temples. Two sharp punches and the skin broke and then Indigo tapped out. Alex sat back with her legs tucked under her, exhausted but grinning. The rush of satisfaction seeped into her bloodstream, easing the shooting pain from her kneecap and the aches of her bruises. The euphoria of winning hit her like a high.

With her heart pounding, she stood and cast another glance to Astra’s office. She wanted nothing more than Astra in that moment.

Her opponent hopped off the ring, so Alex made to leave too only to be blocked by the Captain at the top of the stairs. His arms were crossed over his chest, scowling at her with distain like her first night in the Underground. “Stay here.” He ordered.

Alex pulled a face, “Why?”

“Your next opponent will be here shortly. You’re going to fight again.”

She had rarely seen a contender go two rounds in a row, but _they_ always asked for more; it wasn’t like they were forced to take on someone else. She was immediately on edge, anger flaring at being told what to do.

“What the fuck? No.” Alex tried to move past him, but his hand shot forward to her shoulder. She roughly pulled back and just as she was about to do something stupid, Astra’s voice rang out.

“I wish to fight you, Brave One.”

Alex lowered her fist, her eyes wide. “Wh-What?”

The Captain released her and stepped back as Astra passed by the two of them to take one side of the ring.

Alex looked between the Captain and the General in disbelief. She had seen Astra take down _really_ skilled opponents- had seen her beat up the monster-like fighters that were built to destroy people. Then she caught the smug look on Astra’s face, like the other woman could read her hesitation. The slight raise of her eyebrow challenged, ‘ _Are you scared?’_

_Oh, it’s on._

She bit back a smile, enjoying the burst of competitiveness. She went to stand on the opposite side of the ring and tried to pump herself back up for the fight. Her knee was starting to swell, so that was going to be a problem during their match. As she planned and shook her arms loose, of course she couldn’t help but watch Astra.

And of course Astra was being purposefully distracting in loose black tracksuit pants and an almost-too-short guy’s muscle shirt that rode up, as she stretched her arms above her head, to reveal a sliver of her toned midsection. Alex felt the overwhelming urge to touch and kiss Astra’s abdominal muscles, since she hadn’t been allowed to worship the woman’s body like she had wanted to yesterday. She was already anticipating the aftermath of their fight…

Alex’s eyes darted back up to Astra’s face and she groaned at her self-satisfied smile.

_Don’t be gay for two minutes, Danvers._

Then the lights flashed twice.

Astra launched across the ring and Alex tried to land the first hit, but Astra could easily predict her move and dodged. She used Alex’s attack to her advantage to land a kick into the woman’s side.

Alex sucked in a pained breath and tried to recover her stance but she wasn’t quick enough. Astra grinned as she sucker punched Alex in the gut, a jab, a cross, and another jab all in a second. With the wind knocked out of her and off balance, Astra decked Alex across the face with a right hook and Alex crumpled to the floor.

_She’s not even holding back, not that she expected her to. But fuck that hurt._

Alex glared defiantly up at Astra, who had retreated and motioned for her to get up. Pain exploded in her knee as she stood, but once she was on her feet again she charged. None of her punches connected and she nearly bit her tongue off when Astra’s uppercut slammed into her chin.

Alex stumbled back, dazed.

“You are magnificent.” Astra’s voice was low, a rumble.

Then she kicked Alex straight in the chest, knowing the other woman couldn’t defend against them. Alex fell back and she landed on her side with a grunt. Astra didn’t back off this time, she kicked at her sore ribs again and Alex rolled away in pain. With the woman on her stomach, Astra knelt down and pressed a knee into Alex’s kidney and dug in slightly. Alex squirmed underneath her uselessly.

“Surrender to me, Alexandra.”

She continued to struggle and Astra shook her head, amused, but pushed against her kidney harder. One hand grabbed the nape of Alex’s neck. At the feeling of a cold hand wrapping around the back of her head, Alex tapped out.

Astra laughed and it made Alex burn with embarrassment. But Astra released her hold and got off of her. Alex’s arms felt like jelly but she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and watched Astra walk away without even looking back. Pride, humiliation, and lust swirled like a tornado from her defeat.

It took her a second to stand, but once she was up she stormed off the stage as best as she could with her injured leg. People snickered as she passed through the crowd. She ignored them, head held high and jaw clenched. She went to the bar for her post-fight shot and unwrapped her knuckles, throwing the bandages onto the counter. She downed her shot and then all but stomped up to Astra’s office.

Alex was _so turned on_ and she couldn’t believe her body reacted to their fight like it was foreplay. She wanted to kiss Astra until her knees went weak just so she could pin the woman against the wall and fuck her.

The Captain was already bringing up the next two fighters, so no one noticed when the side of her fist pounded against the office door.  Astra answered with a knowing grin plastered on her face, wearing nothing but her sports bra and her gym pants.

_Those abs…_

Astra opened the door enough for Alex to brush past without a word. She closed and locked it before turning to see Alex right in front of her, glaring up at her.

“I hope you are not angry at me, Alexandra.”

She wasn’t mad, not in the slightest. She could feel her crush blooming into an infatuation. That’s all this could be, right? She just admired Astra and liked her a lot... Like a stupid amount, even though the woman had just punched her lights out.

“That was so hot.” Alex said before she shoved Astra against the door and kissed her hard. One hand gripped Astra’s hip, fingertips pressing hard on the bone, while the other fulfilled her earlier desire to touch her toned midsection. The muscles under her palm twitched as her hand trailed up her body.

They kissed, rough and demanding. Astra’s arms were wrapped around Alex, forcing their bodies to press together. Alex brought her hand up to tug at Astra’s white streak.

With barely any distance between their mouths, she growled “I want a rematch.”

“Oh?” Astra sounded amused.

“Yeah. My place.” Alex kissed her again, the hand on Astra’s hip teased around the waistband of her pants slightly. “But we should warm up first.”

Then Alex’s hand slipped under Astra’s pants and underwear to cup her mound; she moaned into Astra’s mouth when she felt how wet the other woman was. Alex let her instincts take over completely.

Astra broke their kiss, twisting her head to the side, out of breath. Alex moved to kiss and suck at Astra’s pulse point as she rubbed circles over Astra’s center, fingers sticky and smeared with arousal. Her thumb stayed pressed against her clit. Astra’s strangled grunt made Alex’s confidence skyrocket; it was so satisfying to feel the woman’s hips canting into her touch.

But then the woman tensed and pushed her hips back towards the door. Alex panicked instantly, pulling her hand away. Before she could ask what was wrong-

There was the loud and distinctive _bang!_ of a gun being fired echoing in the Underground. Astra flew from the door and stood in front of the window in seconds.

“ _Damn that foolish bastard.”_

Alex was there the next moment, gasping. “ _Holy fuck.”_

At least ten police officers were charging into the Underground; one was already unconscious on the floor. Astra was a blur of motion in the office behind her, she grabbed the most important USB drive from a drawer in her desk and stuffed it in her sports bra. She shoved the desk towards the middle of the room and then she threw on her discarded shirt.

Meanwhile Alex watched the chaotic scene. The biggest fighters were skillfully taking the cops down one by one, though more than a couple of Astra’s ranks fell to the floor dead with a bullet in their head. She spotted the bar’s back liquor cabinet get toppled, watched how the bartender threw Molotov cocktails at the only flight of stairs into or out of the Underground.

“How the fuck are we supposed to get out of here?!”

Then she noticed Astra’s ranks were squeezing through a tunnel behind the bar where the cabinet had fallen. Barstools and bottles were thrown to defend the escaping fighters. Smoke was quickly filling the room from the uncontrolled fire that was growing as more liquor bottles were thrown.

Astra grabbed her elbow and _yanked._ “Alexandra, we need to leave.”

“How Astra? Your guys are burning-“ Astra released her long enough to knock over the tall bookcase that was behind her desk. Books scattered and wood splintered but revealed was another secret tunnel. Alex gaped.

_What the fuck kind of illegal operation was she running?_

Astra took her wrist and pulled her into motion again. They were crouched in the dark, damp space of the earth. Alex reached her other hand out to balance against the wall- cool metal met her fingertips.

A couple yards down the tunnel, Astra stopped. Alex saw her stand and moved her hand from the metal to the soil ceiling until- _oh, she could stand now?_ And then Astra dropped her hand and began climbing up the escape ladder. The sound of boots frantically hitting metal rungs rang out in the tight space.

“Stop,” Astra ordered once she had reached the top. She moved the metal grating away and then she had to punch through the wood of the faux storm shelter built to disguise the escape hatch. At the fourth punch, wood splintered and Astra forced the doors apart.

Astra climbed another rung and peaked out.

“ _Oh hell.”_

Alex _really_ didn’t wanna hear that. “What?”

“That insolent, moronic, power hungry…” She grumbled as she climbed up and over the wood doors. She stayed crouched low despite the area being blocked off by the wood fence of the bar’s dumpster. She helped Alex out and the woman looked around confused.

Blue lights flashed off the brick wall of the back of the bar, while sirens and muffled gunshots resounded.

“What the fuck-“

Astra snuck over to the dumpster with Alex right behind her. She moved to put an arm around Alex and curl her body protectively around the woman.

“My emergency supplies have been _removed_ as well as our transportation…” She growled, peaking around their cover to look at the parking lot’s entrance. Two police cars were abandoned, facing each other, to block the path.

Alex didn’t know what the hell was going on but she escaped Astra’s half embrace to peak through the gaps of the wood fence into the parking lot. Maybe there was a car she could hotwire? Or maybe there was some secret alleyway they could sneak through and avoid the cops? She followed the length of the fence, ignoring Astra’s hiss of her name. If she had any sort of wires on her... Then she spotted the gang of motorcycles in the back of the parking lot.

_Oh thank fuck._

Alex snuck back over to Astra and whispered, “Your army is so cliché with the motorcycles, but I think I found our ticket out of here.”

Astra all but had a heart attack when Alex grabbed the top of the fence and began climbing over it. “ _Alex!”_

Alex landed hard on her feet and it jarred her injured knee, but she looked around and was grateful that the cops were on the other side of the building at the bar’s entrance. She quickly limped over to their prospective ride. The motorcycle was older, almost a given considering the kick-start, but it was beautiful. She didn’t admire the bike but for a second before she dug into the wires hidden between the dash and front wheel. She gritted her teeth as she tried to unplug what she needed to and-

_Ha! Got it._

She grinned and straddled the bike before she bounced up and slammed her foot onto the kick start. Her leg almost gave out on her, but she tried again when the bike didn’t start. She balanced against the bike and stomped down on the kick-start and the motorcycle roared to life.

Astra ran over to her and placed her hand over Alex’s and took the front of the bike. Alex let her take control and scooted back on the bike. When Astra was situated, she wrapped her arms around the woman. Then they were flying between the two cop cars and down the street the next moment. Astra’s hair whipped wildly and Alex pressed her cheek against Astra’s back, ignoring the sting of the wounds on her face.

Alex occasionally moved to look over her shoulder and make sure they weren’t being followed. She knew the cops would be so busy dealing with the burning bar and escaping criminals that by the time they found Astra’s office (if the building was still standing), everything would be destroyed and she’d be long gone.

_Hopefully not too far gone though._

Astra drove them to a warehouse about fifteen minutes away in the industrial part of town. Night had fallen and it seemed they were the only ones in the area. They stopped in front of the huge warehouse and got off the motorcycle. Alex wondered what they were going to do with the stolen vehicle as Astra punched in a key code next to the side door of the building. She looked around one last time before following the woman inside the dark warehouse.

The older woman flicked on the lights and the building was almost completely empty. There was a simple, black SUV in front of the rolling steel door and then a long work table covered with luggage and boxes sat in the middle of the room.

Astra stormed over to the table to search through a toolbox, metal clanged loudly as she fumed. “All of my work! Up in flames! Destroyed!”

Alex had no idea what she was talking about. She went to stand next to the table, crossing her arms over her chest and she fired off her questions. “What happened exactly? Why did the cops show up at all? What is this place?”

“My only guess is that the Lieutenant went along with his suicidal plan for control of my forces.” She huffed, finally finding the key to the car. “Most of my ranks are loyal, but the best were just brought down.”

Astra opened a couple cardboard boxes and shook her head, not finding anything useful. She gripped the edge of the table angrily, “Non did not know about this location, I kept it hidden from him. I _knew_ his deceit was imminent but I let him continue unchecked while _you_ thoroughly distracted me.”

Alex scoffed at the accusation and threw her hands up in exasperation. “ _I_ didn’t do shit.” Astra threw a bag at her which she barely caught.

 _What the fuck just shifted in there? Guns?_  

“My plans and actions were _completely_ successful until you showed up, Brave One.” She stalked towards the car, Alex hot on her heels.

“Look, I didn’t ask for any of this! You didn’t have to _flirt_ and _fuck_ me.”

Astra threw her bag into the backseat and then grabbed the one out of Alex’s hands. She tossed it in carelessly before she reached up and touched Alex’s bruised cheek. Her expression softened, “I suppose not.” She murmured.

Alex shook her head slightly, “So what do we do now?”

“We must lay low until Non is inevitably killed or brought into custody. Barb will let me know either way.” She opened the driver’s side door, “Until then, I believe I will take you up on your offer for a rematch.” She threw a wink over her shoulder.

“We can’t just go back to my place!” But Astra had already slammed her door shut.

Alex hustled to the passenger’s side, not believing any of this was happening. As soon as she slid in and closed the door, Astra’s hand fell to her swollen knee and mindlessly caressed her kneecap. The motion was so relaxing; it was worth the dull ache of pain. “Luck was on our side tonight, thank the universe.”

“If you say so,” Alex said disbelieving, “What if the cops saw us and follow us back to my apartment?”

“I will keep you safe. I should have earned your trust by _now_.” And although she was trying to tease her, there was a light intonation, like she was asking a question.

Alex rolled her eyes. Of course she trusted Astra _for some reason_. How the fuck had this woman stormed into her life and flipped everything upside down? A month ago, in her wildest dreams she never would’ve even considered a reality where she was helping an arguably dangerous criminal escape from the cops-- never would’ve imagined _following_ her blindly.

She didn’t know exactly what the other woman had just lost, but she could tell Astra was tired and frustrated. The easygoing quirk of her lips was betrayed by the slight furrow of her eyebrows, the way her eyes stayed hard on the road in front of them. Alex knew there was a high probability that Astra would leave in the morning and she’d never see the woman again. Yet all she wanted was for her to _stay._

They parked on the street a block down from Alex’s apartment. Astra slung a bag over her shoulder while Alex carried the other. A short walk and an almost grueling elevator ride later, Alex’s apartment door was thrown open. She placed Astra’s luggage down on the floor beside the door and Astra did the same, bending down to open the bag and shift through it looking for something.

“Want something to drink?”

Astra shook her head. “No, but thank you.” She glanced over her shoulder to see Alex’s back to her, so she reached into her shirt and pulled out the USB drive from her bra. She hid it in the palm of her hand as she stood and looked around the woman’s apartment. Anywhere would be a good hiding spot, but the old picture frames on the fireplace’s mantel looked dusty enough and curiosity got the best of her.

Her eyes roamed the first picture, a middle-aged gentleman with stubble smiled back at her; she could only assume he was Alex’s father. Then her eyes flicked over to the next photo and she gasped quietly.

Alex walked over and swirled the liquor in her glass, amused at Astra’s face as she looked at the photo of Kara and her when they were kids. “That’s me and my sister.”

Astra couldn’t believe her luck. _Her_ Alex actually knew her favorite niece, the one she hadn’t been allowed to see in _years_. She had wondered what had happened to young Kara after Alura’s death and it was a relief to know that she had been adopted by a wonderful family. If they had raised Alex to be so clever and brave and loyal, she knew Kara had been taken care of…

“I see.” Astra put the picture back, slipping the USB drive behind the frame.

Alex took a sip of her drink and nearly choked when Astra turned and grabbed her hand to tug her closer. “Where did you learn to hotwire a motorcycle?”

“I, uh, wasn’t the best kid in high school.”

Astra shook her head, smiling. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Her heart fluttered. “Yeah?”

Astra reached up to tuck Alex’s short hair behind her ear and her thumb stroked her injured cheek for a moment, enjoying how Alex’s face heated under her touch and stare. Deciding to rile the woman up, she said “I was surprised when you gave up so quickly during our fight.” She had to bite back a smirk as Alex bristled and narrowed her eyes. “I suppose one can only endure so many concussions though…”

Alex knew that she was being baited, but she still huffed. She clutched the other woman’s hip, “When’s that rematch?”

Astra flashed a toothy grin before she took Alex’s drink, _“Hey!”_ She ignored the shorter woman’s protests and downed the drink. She set the glass on the mantel and met her eyes as she licked her lips provocatively.

“Begin.”

Astra surged forward and kissed Alex, loving how she responded immediately to the attack; she grabbed Alex’s shoulders and pushed her backward a couple paces and slammed her into the wall by the TV. Alex groaned in pain, but kissed back fiercely. She gripped Astra’s arms, just above her elbows, and then bit at Astra’s lip. Astra was caught off guard enough that Alex was able to shove herself forward and twist, so she could pin her against the bathroom door.

Astra hissed as the doorknob connected with her lower back. She felt Alex grin into the kiss, so in retaliation her hands slid into Alex’s back pockets and the woman moaned into her mouth. Her knee wedged between Alex’s, making her gasp, and her mouth moved to Alex’s jaw. She trailed wet kisses all the way up to Alex’s ear and nibbled on the lobe.

Then she whispered, “You were absolutely breathtaking today, Alexandra.” She shifted her head down to nip at her neck, “Your form and focus has improved vastly. It is a shame I cannot watch you anymore.”

Alex’s hands fisted in Astra’s hair, holding her there, loving her hot mouth at her throat. “You could always join my Krav Maga class.”

Astra chuckled and pulled Alex closer against her. Her hands squeezed Alex’s ass again. “I’m afraid my control would slip.”

Alex groaned and decided she couldn’t take it anymore. She took a half step back and gave a sharp tug before her fingers detangled; hoping Astra understood her urge to take this to the bedroom. Astra followed her and they stumbled up the stairs before clashing again, standing at the foot of the bed.

The younger woman reached up to cup Astra’s face in both of her hands. She leaned back just enough to look at Astra, the rough General now reduced to a horny mess of tangled hair and bruised lips, “You’re so fuckin’ hot.”

They fought to keep their mouths connected, even as they undressed. Shoes were thrown off and pants and underwear were hastily discarded. Alex detached to pull Astra’s shirt over her head, then she shoved the woman so she fell backwards onto the mattress; it creaked quietly as she bounced once.

Astra propped herself up on her elbows, legs still dangling off the edge of the bed and panted in breaths as she watched Alex strip off her shirt and bra. Her eyes roamed Alex’s body- lean and beautiful with new and healing bruises; she was completely bared to Astra except for the striking green bandaid slapped over her stitches on her upper thigh.

She finally looked back up at Alex’s face and noticed the conceited grin. She couldn’t say anything to deflate the woman’s ego because the next moment, Alex was straddling her stomach and leaning down to run her tongue over Astra’s bottom lip. She twitched as warm hands burrowed under her sports bra.

Alex pulled the last piece of clothing off and took a moment to admire how Astra’s wavy hair was splayed out wildly, how her mouth was slightly parted, how she was looking up at Alex, her eyes wide and dilated.

_How is she so beautiful?_

Alex’s heart raced when she realized she absolutely _adored_ this woman. She wondered if Astra was feeling the way she was. She didn’t know what they were to each other. She didn’t even know if Astra was going to be there in the morning since her whole operation had been compromised by a betrayal. So she resolved herself to make this memorable for Astra and for herself.

She bent down to kiss her again, her palms against Astra’s ribs, feeling her heartbeat hammer.

_Love or lust?_

Astra squirmed at how Alex was lazily kissing her, she wanted _more_. Her arms came up around Alex and she flipped them.

“Do you want me to take over, Brave One?” She taunted, her hair fell around them as she smiled down at Alex. A hand on the back of her neck forced her down and their mouths met. The last thing she expected was for Alex to roll them over so she was back on top. Astra moaned her approval.

They were back where they started in the middle of the bed, though their legs were no longer hanging over the edge. Alex palmed and kneaded Astra’s breasts as they made out. Their sounds, wet kisses and muffled moans, were melodic. Alex reveled in the way the woman below her puffed out breaths between their kisses and the way she inhaled sharply through her nose as their lips twisted together.

She moved to raise up slightly but Astra’s legs wrapped around her back, preventing her escape, and Alex broke their kiss. She groaned, guttural and pained, when Astra’s slick center grinded up against her lower abdomen. The sticky wetness coated her skin and Alex fell onto her, hips rolling into Astra.

Astra let out a strangled cry. Alex shifted to press a kiss against Astra’s neck and panted out hot breaths as she grinded her body against Astra. One of Astra’s hands tangled in Alex’s short hair, while her other hand traveled down her body to touch herself.

Alex felt her between them and heard her satisfied grunt; she reached down to pull Astra’s hand away and pinned her wrist to the bed above her head. Astra let out a frustrated noise and tried to fight the hold, but Alex nipped at her throat in warning. When the older woman finally relented and relaxed under her, Alex slid her other hand between them to rub against Astra’s clit.

“Is that what you want, General?”

“ _Yes,_ ” She moaned, fisting and pulling at Alex’s hair.

As she brought Astra closer to her release, she realized her own arousal was reaching dangerous peaks, she was _hot_ and desperate and dripping- she would probably come just from getting Astra off.

She bucked hard into Astra at the thought and that sent the other woman over the edge. Astra’s back arched and her legs tightened around Alex as her body shook. She sighed, low and drawn out, as Alex removed her hand, but continued to slowly grind against her.

After a moment, Astra slumped back onto the bed. Her legs unwound from behind Alex and she hummed, satisfied, as she felt her press a kiss to her neck. Astra enjoyed how she continued to lay on top of her while they caught their breaths.

She felt her smile against her throat before Alex said, “That was quick.”

Astra laughed, which made Alex push up slightly to look down at her. Astra noticed the smug look on her face and warned, “Do not think you’ve won yet, Alexandra.”

“Another rematch then?” Alex teased, “I could do this all night.”

Astra’s fingernails clawed down the woman’s back making Alex hiss out. “Hmm, I like the sound of that.”

Then they’re rough and rolling, every twist and kiss and bite tallied, and bruises are exploited for bonus points. Their second rematch was all pleasure and pain. They fought through the night, crumpled covers and sheets fell onto the floor, all to see who would come out on top in the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler, it was Alex.


	6. Unapologetic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big finale includes: the two nerds being domestic as heck, some important words, and loose-ends getting tied up.
> 
> Bonus points for whoever gets the Archer reference~

_Finally spent and sated, the two decided to sleep. Alex weakly grabbed the sheets from where they were kicked to the end of the bed and pulled it to cover their naked, sweaty bodies. Astra was already half-asleep by the time she cuddled into her arms. Alex held her tight, convinced if she held the other woman through the night, maybe she’d still be there in the morning._

\--

It was about mid-morning when Alex woke up sore, cold and alone. She let out a deep sigh and considered just going back to sleep, but the bed felt too empty without Astra. She tiredly sat up, feeling boneless from the fighting and the fucking. As she yanked the thin sheet off her to stand up, she nearly whined at the bite marks littering her chest and inner thighs and the dark bruises peppered over her body.

She was going to have to deal with Astra leaving while living with the ephemeral reminders of their last night together.

_Just awesome…_

Still, she took it one step at a time as she walked over to her dresser to put on a pair of boxers and a navy long-sleeve sleep shirt. She turned back to study the bed, smiling despite the heartache of Astra’s disappearance. She dealt with cleaning up the aftermath; three displaced pillows were thrown back onto the mattress. The lamp on her bedside table was righted. She huffed as she grabbed the comforter and blanket from the floor at the foot of the bed- her arms were far too exhausted to do even this much lifting.

She nearly screamed when Astra’s voice broke her thoughts. “Ah, you are finally awake.” Alex _did_ flinch violently and Astra was pretty amused.

Alex threw the armful of covers onto the bed and spun around to look at her. Astra had just exited the bathroom and stood at the bottom of the stairs to the bedroom; the woman was dressed in _Alex’s_ jeans and _Alex’s_ favorite band t-shirt.

She was practically swooning. “Wh-What are you still doing here?”

_What a stupid thing to say, Danvers! Couldn’t you have commented on her wearing your clothes instead?_

“You were expecting me to leave you?” Astra raised an eyebrow, “Do you want me to?”

“No!” Alex cringed at how desperate she sounded. “No, it’s not- I’m just surprised.”

Astra smiled, clearly loving how flustered she was. “I brought you coffee, though it is from early this morning. You do not have any food in your house and I needed to eat breakfast.”

“Sorry,” Alex laughed sheepishly, “I’m not much of a cook.”

“That is quite alright, Alexandra.” She made herself at home by plopping down on her couch and unpaused the documentary she had been watching.

Alex walked to the kitchen to claim the coffee and open the carefully folded paper bag of food Astra had gotten her.

“I did not know what you would like to eat...” Astra actually sounded _nervous._

_This is too cute._

She felt giddiness bubbling deep in her chest as she split the bagel and popped the halves into the toaster to heat up. She didn’t even mind the disgustingly cold coffee! She leaned against the kitchen’s bar, gulping down the drink, and watched Astra laze on her couch. The TV flashed images of a rural farming community, but then Alex nearly choked on her drink hearing a familiar voice talk about sustainability.

Alex laughed and asked, “What are you watching?”

“Bill Nye the Science Guy…”

Astra grinned when Alex came to sit beside her on the couch. While Alex nibbled on the bagels, Astra threw an arm around her shoulder unable to help herself. Her smile grew as Alex scooted closer into her side.

They sat watching the informative yet goofy show and Alex’s mind wandered. How the fuck were they being this casual after everything that happened yesterday? The fire and the police and-

She turned to the door to see that Astra’s bags were no longer at the doorway. So Astra had done a lot more than make a breakfast run for them this morning… Alex chewed thoughtfully on the delicious bagel, observing how entertained Astra was as she watched the TV show.

Finally, Alex said- “So, what happened last night?”

Astra bit her lip for a moment before moving her arm from behind Alex’s shoulder. She paused the show and turned to face her, eyes guarded. “What are you referring to?”

“Your fight club.” Alex shrugged a shoulder up, “I mean, what the fuck happened? You said Non betrayed you or something? What happened with Barbara? And the Captain?”

Astra chose her words carefully, “I cannot divulge too much about our activities… But I was able to rendezvous with Barb this morning. She informed me that only a handful of my ranks sided with my Lieutenant when he selfishly attempted to... implement a rather drastic plan that I had forbid.”

Alex was frustrated with the withholding of information. “What did he do?”

“I cannot say, but those loyal to me were able to take him down. Barbara told me he is in jail; it is far too merciful a punishment however. His obtuse behavior caused the death of several of my men, including the Captain.”

“What?” She gasped.

“Yes,” Astra shook her head and sighed. “I was upset and still am… I believe I am at fault for his death.”

Alex grabbed her hand, “Hey, you didn’t kill him. Non did.”

“As his commander, I am still responsible.” She looked vulnerable in that moment, eyes flicking between Alex’s, searching her face for something. 

“What were you the commander of Astra?”

Astra turned away for a moment but squeezed the hand holding hers. “Alexandra…” It sounded like a whine and she couldn’t believe it.

“Look Astra, I’m technically harboring a criminal, right?” At Astra’s nod, she continued, “So don’t I deserve a couple answers? What the hell were you guys doing?”

Astra met her eyes again, expressionless. “Counterfeiting.”

Alex only flinched back slightly, surprised. She waited for Astra to say more but the woman had already turned away, jaw clenched. Something felt off about her answer… She supposed most criminals were in it for money, so it made sense logically- Astra just didn’t seem the type to care about that though.

“I must lay low until the police have finished interrogating those in my ranks who were caught…” She looked to Alex again, softer but ready to steel herself up again at any moment. Alex was amazed at the trust she was being shown, “Is it permissible for me to stay here?”

Alex’s breath caught. Panicked eyes glanced around the room for a moment as her mind raced. If the police were to find Astra in her apartment, she would probably be put away in jail as an accomplice… Even _if_ Astra attested she wasn’t a part of their counterfeiting scheme…  But if the police didn’t show up and Alex kicked her out? Would Astra have her killed to tie up a liability?

_She hadn’t killed her yet…_

Out of all the crimes, Alex was relieved it was only counterfeiting. It was a petty crime, in her opinion, though she knew it had a more serious impact on the inflation rates and such- she couldn’t bring herself to care.

She watched Astra open her mouth to say something else, probably impatient for an answer. Alex blurted out, “You can stay here.” And Astra’s hopeful, thankful eyes danced before she leaned in to kiss Alex.

* * *

It had been a week since Astra had decided to indefinitely move in with her. They were closer than Alex had dared to hope for and she was so damn invested in their undisclosed relationship. But Astra was meeting with Barbara again tonight and it threatened a permanent separation that Alex wasn’t ready for.

They were watching some zombie movie that had Alex half-asleep, head resting on Astra’s lap. It wasn’t that zombie movies weren’t her thing, but Astra kept soothingly running her hand through her hair.

The relaxed atmosphere was disrupted when Astra reached over to lift up Alex’s hand to check the time on her watch. She leaned forward to kiss her knuckles and then set her hand back down with a pat. The gentleness always melted Alex’s heart- it was a surprising contrast to how roughly they handled each other in the bedroom.

“I must be leaving soon, Brave One.”

Alex wanted to whine. “Do you have to? I mean,” She nuzzled her face into Astra’s thigh, “You’re pretty comfortable.”

Astra chuckled and pet her hair once more. “Barb has intel I need, so yes. I must go.” She moved to get up and Alex huffed and finally moved.

They both stood, Alex caught Astra’s wrist before she could walk towards the door. She felt almost desperate as she said, “Hey, um, wait a minute?” She wanted so much to talk about their situation with her, to talk about her feelings towards her.

Astra tilted her head slightly in question, when Alex merely worried her lip for a moment, her eyes glanced to the door and then back to her.

_Someday she’s going to walk out and not come back._

Alex sighed and hesitantly stepped in to kiss her goodbye. This kiss was soft and tender and _oh-so sweet_. Astra hummed happily into the kiss, her hands coming up to hold Alex’s face and stroke her thumbs along her cheek _._ Languidly their mouths parted and the slow, wet heat burned Alex. The realization struck her that they hadn’t kissed like this since their first kiss at fight club…

Astra pulled back _too soon_ , but she looked just as stunned. Astra’s thumb moved to trace over Alex’s top lip, sliding against the spit of their kiss. Her gaze softened as the woman parted her mouth more, wanting to bite, but Astra let her digit fall to her bottom lip, dragging it down with a gentle pull.

As if reading Alex’s fears, she promised. “I will return soon, Alexandra.”

Alex watched her leave and then fell back to the couch, pained at her inability to confess anything to the woman. She knew she was self-sacrificing; it was a trait she had acquired from being Kara’s older sister. She was prepared to lose everything for the sake of others because she wasn’t brave enough to admit she actually _wanted_ something.

_And fucking hell, she wanted Astra._

She got up from the couch to pour herself a glass of scotch, knowing she hadn’t touched any alcohol since Astra first moved in. The destruction of progress shamed her, but not enough to stop the mechanical way she fixed a drink.

She went to sit on the balcony and at the first sip, all their meaningful conversations and intimate moments came flooding to the surface. She practically drowned in her feelings.

Living with Astra proved to be more frustrating yet unequivocally more domestic than Alex ever imagined, but she thrived. She enjoyed getting to know Astra, her past and her quirks. Anything she had been willing to share really…

Like that she had an identical twin sister that had died in some freak accident over ten years ago. The white streak in her hair was in memory of her dead sibling. Alex had held her tight on the couch when Astra had casually mentioned it, while they were watching a sad movie.

Then she learned that Astra didn’t like Alex’s morning alarm for work… It reminded her of a botched operation that she couldn’t talk about. So Alex had been awoken for work by Astra, which was infinitely more peaceful and cute; though she still worried that one day her internal clock would fail and Alex would be late for work.

Her flawless internal clock was a byproduct of the fact that she actually was in the military for a couple of years before she was dishonorably discharged for insubordination during a crucial mission. Though she explained she saved an innocent city from being destroyed.

And then Astra confirmed Alex’s theory that the woman was a genius; she held several degrees with various subjects like astronomy, ecology, mechanical engineering and physics. Alex enjoyed being able to have nerdy conversations with her and some nights she would cuddle up next to Astra and ask her to explain a theory she was passionate about- just to listen to her excitable voice.

Alex discovered that Astra didn’t eat meat or dairy. Astra bought _vegan_ substitutes despite her protests and Alex was forced to accept the fact that any non-vegetarian foods would be immediately thrown in the garbage. In Alex’s opinion, it seemed wasteful as fuck. They had a heated debate about that until the neighbors had knocked on the door to tell them to shut up. At seeing Astra’s pouty frown as she uncomfortably settled into her banishment to the couch, Alex finally relented to the lifestyle change and allowed Astra back into bed.

Then Astra learned that Alex couldn’t cook, let alone cook _vegan,_ and in turn Alex learned that Astra could save her from burning pancakes. The woman would even eat the almost burnt pancakes and give Alex the good ones! When Alex had asked if there was anything she couldn’t do, she was able to mentally note another interesting fact about the General- _she couldn’t parallel park_.

But Astra _could_ draw, really well. Her sketches of landscapes near her childhood home, long since destroyed by mudslides, were breathtaking. Alex had stood behind her and rubbed her back, admiring the artwork, while Astra blushed furiously in the chair.

And then she had asked Alex about everything- her sister, her fights with her mom, her experiences in college, why she chose to be a doctor, why she had been alone for so many years…

All of it combined with every time Astra had kissed her cheek or they had cuddled on the couch or had fucked, Alex felt herself wanting to say those words that would probably break the spell they were under. Cause to admit those feelings out loud could never end well right?

Alone and buzzed off of the alcohol, Alex wondered what the fuck she was supposed to do. She was _in love_ with Astra…

She sat outside, staring blankly at the city’s twinkling skyline lost in her thoughts, until Astra returned. She recoiled in surprise when Astra placed a hand on her shoulder. Unfocused, watery eyes glanced up at the woman.

Like always, Astra was reading her mind. “Does the thought of my absence distress you this much?”

“Don’t be an ass,” Alex frowned, her gaze moving to the dark sky. With her heart racing, she pushed through her fear and admitted, “You know I love you.” The grip on her shoulder tightened. She nearly regretted saying anything at all.

Astra’s eyebrows flew up, “I did not know that.”

“Yeah, well.” Alex mumbled. She tried to take another sip of her drink, but sadly discovered the glass was empty. It probably had been for some time now. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Astra kneel down beside her.

“I love you too, Alex.”

And Alex whipped her head around, jaw dropping.

_“I love you too.”_

Then she was grinning goofily, ecstatic at the declaration. Alex slipped out of the chair and pulled Astra into a tight embrace. Astra pulled her into the bedroom and they shed their clothes and cocooned themselves in the covers. The sex that night was slow, teasing, overly affectionate.

* * *

A couple days later while Astra was out planning who knows what, Alex received a called from Kara. She finished watering the stupid plant Astra had bought for the dining room table before answering her phone.

“Hey Kara!” She probably sounded too chipper.

“Hey yourself.” Yep, Kara giggled into the phone. “I was wondering how you were doing but you sound pretty perky.”

“I don’t do _perky_.” But she laughed all the same.

Kara scoffed. “I haven’t heard you this happy since you got an autograph from the Barenaked Ladies.”

Alex rolled her eyes. “How are you?”

She moved to the living room, standing in front of the fireplace and looking at the picture of them. She felt bad about her lack of calls, but she knew Kara had as much going on as herself.

“I’m good, don’t change the subject!” Kara ordered, fighting a laugh. “So… Did you ask out that lady you met at the bar?”

Alex grinned, “You could say that…” She heard Kara squeal, “Oh my god, Kara calm down!”

“I can’t, Alex! That is so cute! I am so happy for you-“

And Alex listened to her excitable gushing as she picked up the picture frame of them. Something fell to the floor and slid underneath the coffee table. Alex frowned and put the picture back where it was.

“Uh huh,” She said, distractedly to keep Kara talking while she dropped to lay on her stomach to search for whatever had fallen. She frowned, fishing the black and red USB drive from under the table. She knew it wasn’t hers.

And only Astra would hide it there… Which meant this was probably something important to whatever she was doing…

“Holy shit.”

“What?” Kara stopped mid-gush. “What’s wrong?”

Alex cleared her throat, “Nothing, sorry Kara. I, uh, gotta go. I’ll call you later!”

“Wait, Alex-“

But she had already hung up and was contemplating her next move. She knew Astra wouldn’t explain it to her and she also realized that it would probably be hidden somewhere else or removed from the apartment all together once she asked about it. Daringly, she glanced at her watch before running over to the dining room table and turning on her computer. Her phone vibrated against the couch cushions, but she was too focused to care.

She plugged in the USB drive and immediately her computer screen went black. Alex narrowed her eyes when two lines of green text appeared. The symbols were almost otherworldly, but something about the hard lines and dots felt familiar…

_Is that Wingdings?_

Resting her head on her chin, she struggled to figure out what language this was in. It couldn’t be Arabic or Sanskrit though some of the looped symbols looked like it. There were triangles and circles? She tilted her head and gasped.

She went to her bedside table and dug out a notebook that she had filled out with her dad before he had died. The pages were yellow and frayed on the end, but she flipped to the second page where her father had drawn out the alphabet to an ancient language he had tried to teach her. She flew back to the computer and her eyes flicked from the page to the screen, grinning.

_It’s upside down Kandorian._

Her father had studied the small village during one of the last adventures he had traveled. Hidden away in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, the remains of the culture were all but gone. He had said they were much like the Mayans, having predicted several historical events and future events based on the sun, moon, and stars.

_How the fuck did Astra know about it?_

She pulled a piece of paper out of the back of the notebook and as she copied the text on the screen she flipped the symbols. After converting the Kandorian phonetically, she flipped through the notebook hoping to find the English translation of the words.

‘The universe guides your journey,’ Was the first line of the text. _Poetic._

The next line, loosely decoded was asking for some kind of password? Alex frowned as the coded line blinked, waiting for her to enter her answer.

_Who the fuck knows…_

Astra, beautiful and intelligent, would probably have some profound answer to the first line… Alex thought about giving up, pulling the USB drive out and shutting down her computer. But the challenge was there…

_What password would protect this information better than the encryption of the code in a dead language?_

With a snort, she quickly flicked through the book and finally found the word she was looking for. She typed in the phonetic Kandorian word for ‘guest’ and barked out a surprised laugh when the screen popped up with a list of files.

“No way!” She scoffed, still amused. Then her eyes fell to the file names and she translated as best she could. Using the scratch sheet of paper, she slowly decoded the symbols. Fearfully, she whispered, “No fucking way…”

* * *

Alex had shut down her laptop and hidden her notebook. She glared at the door and tapped her fingers against the countertop of the kitchen bar, leaning on it as she waited for Astra to come back home.

_Home… Fuck, she was in too deep._

Could she really excuse what she saw on the flashdrive? Most of the files were vague, but one stood out, made her balk at the idea that Astra had been a part of _that_ disaster. Counterfeiting was one thing, but this? Where did she draw the line? When did she call the police?

The door opened then and Alex squared her shoulders, ready for whatever was about to happen. Astra walked in carrying a cup of coffee in each hand.

“Good evening, Alexandra.” She smiled, but it faltered slightly as Alex frowned in response. “Did you miss me?” She delivered the cup to the woman, standing between the chairs on the adjacent side of the bar. When she gave no reply, Astra pouted. “I am sorry, the meeting ran late. Barbara was narrowing down our options for a location to reestablish my organization.”

And Alex almost cracked a smile. It was cute that Astra thought she was simply giving her the silent treatment for taking too long to come back home. But Alex reached for the drink and Astra perked up again.

“A location… for your counterfeiting ring?” She took a sip of the coffee, tasting the difference of the soy milk.

Astra raised an eyebrow, “Yes? What is the matter-”

“Counterfeiting,” She interrupted, head tilted to the side. “On top of ecoterrorism?”

Astra froze for a second and then her grey eyes narrowed, distrust lacing her features. “How did you-“

Alex dug into her pocket and slapped the USB drive onto the countertop. Astra snatched it and huffed. “How were you able to break the encryption?”

“My dad taught me Kandorian when I was a kid.” She said offhandedly, “Ya know, you’re really bad at passwords…”

“Clearly.” Astra scowled.

She gave her a small sad smile, but then asked “Did you really mean to blow up the headquarters with all those employees in it?”

Astra’s face fell. She turned away and went to sink into the couch tiredly. Her head rested in her hands. “The guilt will always weigh on my conscious but in a way, their deaths were necessary. The five stubborn souls that defied our demands and scoffed at our threats were key members of the Big Oil industry, though only one of them was officially registered as part of the company’s Board.”

Alex understood her frustrations, she was also a scientist. Capitalism made it next to impossible for sustainable resources to even be _considered_. While her methods were wrong, she understood _easily_ , too easily, why Astra would go to such extremes. The only difference was that Alex would never be able to go through with it, if it meant murder and no chance for immediate change.

“I refuse to sit back when the planet is dying.” Astra finally said, voice hard.

Alex went to sit by the other woman. Jokingly she suggested, “Why don’t you join the Greenpeace instead?  Or Avaaz?” She wanted so much to reach out to comfort her, but the files on the flashdrive scared her. Finding out about the bombings of the headquarters had been bad but, “Think of all the environmental consequences if you caused a nuclear meltdown…”

Astra shook her head, unable to believe that Alex had decoded enough to figure out the craziest plan Non had devised. She gave a weak laugh, “You are far too clever for your own good.”

She didn’t want to talk about how she was losing hope and running out of ideas to make a difference. She welcomed Alex into her life as an interruption to her futile efforts at change.

The next thing Alex knew, Astra is surging forward to kiss her. Mumbling against Astra’s lips, she asked “Are you trying to distract me?”

“Is it working?” At her slight headshake, Astra sighed. Breath hot on Alex’s cheek as she rested their foreheads together. “Pity.”

Then there was a loud banging on the door, “This is the police, Dr. Danvers come out with your hands up!”

And while Alex recognized Kara’s voice and her attempt at a _stupid_ joke during, coincidentally _, the worst possible moment ever_. Astra forced Alex to her feet and was behind her with a strong forearm pressed against her neck, using her as a human shield.

Alex yanked at her arms, kicked her legs trying to speak despite the crushing pressure.

And that’s the scene Kara walked into.

“ _Oh my god! Alex!”_

Astra dropped her hold at seeing her niece, standing slack jawed. “Little One?”

“Aunt Astra?”

 _Oh, of course they're related_.

Alex couldn’t believe that she was a missing link between them. She recovered quick when she saw Kara starting to walk forward into the living room, she pulled herself to her feet, going to stand in front of her sister protectively.

“Kara, run.” She glared at Astra, expecting her to try to attack again.

But Astra stood frozen on the other side of the room. And Kara defiantly moved around her, making Alex scoff in disbelief.

“Kara, I swear-“

“Aunt Astra… I thought you were dead? Mom… Mom said you died.” Her voice sounded so small, so lost. Alex stepped in front of Kara again.

Astra looked close to tears and Alex didn’t even know what to think of the scene. Her automatic response was to call the cops, but she had no idea where she had left her phone. Her eyes frantically looked around the room, but Astra’s response made her pause.

“Alura forbid me to see you. She disappeared with you and then perished in the wildfire… I-“

Kara’s eyes were watery, but then she looked between Alex and Astra. “Alex, have you been dating my aunt? She’s a criminal…”

And Alex wanted to pass a hand over her face in exasperation. “I _know_ that she’s a criminal Kara, she just put me in a headlock!”

“Sorry, Brave One.” Astra said at the same time Kara said, “I just thought you were practicing Krav Maga.”

Then _Kara_ stepped in front of her protectively, eyes narrowing into slits. “Why did you put my sister in a headlock?”

“Cause of _your_ stupid joke, Kara.” Alex growled.

Astra explained, “It was a very unfortunate misunderstanding.” Alex scoffed. “I thought Alexandra had called the police.”

“Uh, she has every right to.” Kara said, arms crossed over her chest.

“I agree,” Astra put her hands up in surrender, the USB drive held between two fingers. “I am willing to destroy these documents, Alexandra.”

Astra’s eyes flicked between Kara and Alex, vulnerable. And despite the whirlwind of emotions she was feeling for the General, Alex recognized that Astra was willing to throw her life’s work away for something else. Maybe for family? For over a decade, she had been alone... Wouldn't she rather reconnect with Kara? Wouldn't she rather stay _here_ with Alex?

Alex was quick to say, “We could help you, Kara and I! We’ll help you find another way to save the Earth…”

Kara pouted, “Wait, what? What is she talking about, Aunt Astra?”

Alex found it cute when Astra shrugged a shoulder up. Astra's eyes met Alex's, she looked determined and not as lost as she did moments before. Then she returned her gaze to Kara and said, “I’m trying to make the world a better place for you, Little One.”

And with that Astra threw the flashdrive into Alex’s fireplace.

* * *

Over the next few hours, the three talked and ate. Kara and Astra shed tears over their past and how they had been separated by Alura. Alex stayed by her sister's side, being the emotional support she needed. However Alex stayed on edge with Astra, miffed that she had used her as a human shield and that she had kept so many secrets. Kara left so they could talk more personal matters and Astra had spilled everything.

How Non and herself had formed this small army, all victims of loss due to natural disasters gone wrong. How they blamed the shifting climate change for the death of those they loved. How quickly their desire for a better world dissolved into rage and violence.

Astra said that she had gotten caught up in the blood-lust at the time, years ago when the pain of losing Alura and Kara was fresh, but it began to haunt her. She told Alex that she had been wanting out for a while now. She could never be the politician that Alura was, but she knew her current efforts weren't making a difference. She explained how she had no interest in the sabotage of the nuclear power plant and that Non's betrayal included ordering one of his men to fight and kill Alex. Astra reiterated how lucky Non was to be in jail already.

Alex had smacked her on the arm and pulled her into a hug, when Astra admitted she hadn't been meeting up with Barb to restart their organization. They were just getting coffee and talking about old wounds like the war veterans that they were.

Astra assured Alex that she was reformed for good, that the crimes she committed could never be traced back to herself, that her army had saluted her one last time before going into hidding themselves. And Alex still felt hesitant, but both were relieved to hear an affirmation of love from the other.

They kissed and promised to heal together, stubbornly love strong through it all.

Kara visited often for sister/aunt movie night. She even gave her hesitant approval on their relationship, but she made them swear to keep it Rated G around her. (They rarely kept that promise)

Astra _did_ sign up for Greenpeace and Avaaz. On the side, she used the counterfeiting money to back the Green Party in the state’s elections. She also joined Alex’s Krav Maga class, which always left them rushing home for fun and competitive post-sparing sex.

Meanwhile, Alex got offered a job at the FBI as Henshaw’s partner. He had seen her make so much progress that he wanted to continue to take her under his wing. It turned out that he had met Eliza on an online dating site and they had been together, long-distance, for about a year. She was the mastermind behind the solicited job offer. Alex was pissed, but Astra and Kara talked her down with pizza and ice cream.

Then during one family dinner, Lena had asked “How did you two meet?”

And Alex shot Astra a goofy look. Astra lifted their joined hands to press a kiss to Alex’s knuckles and said, “She fought for me.”

When the family looked to Alex for a less vague answer, she shrugged and said, “I'm actually not allowed to talk about it...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So concludes the longest fic I have ever written... It's been an adventure. Thank you for reading!


End file.
